Kids only put up their hands in high school for two reasons – to ask for the bathroom and to say ‘when am I ever going to need to use this’.
UK schools are proving that career advice is not the domain of careers advisors but includes teachers. Teachers have the greatest in-school impact on the learning lives of our students and learning outcomes relate closely to careers.
Today more UK classroom teachers are linking key subject content to future careers, highlighting the pathways into professions and the skills needed. Teachers become part of the careers conversation.
And whatever the subject they teach, they incorporate how that subject applies to future employment. Once careers are connected to subjects taught, the subject becomes relevant to students in real world examples, and students become more engaged!
Schools are making sure every young person learns about careers in every subject, every year they’re in school, so they’re as prepared as possible when they leave the school gates.
Putting careers at the heart of the curriculum, is about firing up young people’s imaginations. But it’s also about better teaching, making lessons more enjoyable and subjects easier for students to learn and appreciate their relevance in the work place.
For example a math class discussing data and statistics might use labour market insights table of the employment and jobs growth, exposing students to job trends, skills shortages and career opportunities.
Supporting these career programs are employer groups. Employers are strengthening their talent pipeline by working with schools. They are better able to understand the needs of young people and their perceptions of working in their industry sector. They provide content teachers can introduce, when related, to the subject they are teaching.
The lessons learnt from the UK is career advice is not some isolated silo, underfunded non-academic resource that few students take advantage of. Incorporating careers into subjects taught will help every student who ever wondered “what this has got to do with me and when will I ever use it”.
Dig deeper and discover case studies. It will change your thinking about career advice in schools.
Trends in Careers Education 2021: The Careers & Enterprise Company
