Careers Education

Overview

At Ballyclare High School, we place great importance on guiding our pupils through the crucial final steps of their school career journey, helping them transition into one of the many exciting post-18 opportunities. Our careers education programme is designed to support pupils as they explore their options and make informed decisions about their future. Pupils benefit from individual and group careers guidance interviews, an annual careers convention, and presentations on a wide range of careers. They are also supported with mock interviews, CV preparation, university talks and visits, and labour market information workshops. Weekly careers education lessons, as well as opportunities for work experience and work shadowing, allow pupils to gain practical insights into the world of work.

Recognising that career decisions can be just as stressful for parents, the school also provides information evenings in collaboration with universities across the British Isles. These sessions help parents understand the implications of subject choices, offering up-to-date labour market insights to ensure that pupils and their families are well-prepared for the next phase of their education and career paths. Through this comprehensive approach, Ballyclare High School aims to equip pupils with the tools, confidence, and information they need to make the best possible career decisions.

Staff

4 experienced careers teachers.

Every teacher in Ballyclare High School is a teacher of careers. As a result, pupils are well informed about career pathways from each of the subjects which they study in school and about the specific and transferable skills they are developing.

Curriculum

In Year 8 pupils are introduced to the whole idea of employability through examining their own skills and qualities, getting a feel for the variety of careers which exist and beginning to set goals for their own career journey. In addition they explore the concept of entrepreneurship and get to plan a class party to finish the term!

Our pupils in Year 9 engage in a 10 week Employability programme within which they are introduced to the idea of the world of work and how they might fit into that world.

Throughout a series of stimulating lessons pupils are involved in problem-solving and organisation tasks, making them aware of the need for initiative in the approach to finding a suitable career. Their individual skills and qualities are explored in order to allow them to exploit their strengths and identify areas of self-improvement. The programme facilitates plenty of research into possible careers and acknowledges the importance of familiarising oneself with the plethora of career paths available today. Pupils enjoy the investigation of numerous job sectors with the view to encouraging them to be pro-active in the planning for their own future, even at this early stage.

The Year 10 careers programme gives pupils the opportunity to explore and identify their interests, skills and abilities through a variety of exciting research and classroom based activities. A highlight of the Year 10 Learning for Life and Work programme is completing the research web quest, where pupils are afforded the opportunity to use informative software to match their skills and interests with a range of careers. All pupils have the opportunity to participate in a careers interview with a member of staff in preparation for making their subject choices for GCSE. The emphasis throughout the programme is on ensuring that pupils are making informed choices about their future.

In Years 11 & Year 12 pupils are given the opportunity to hear first-hand about the careers of a variety of professionals, to engage in some interview training and to do some personal research into post-16 options. In addition each pupil has a careers interview with the DEL careers advisor and a Mock Job Interview with a visiting professional. The goal is to help pupils to make informed decisions about their future.

In Year 13 pupils have a careers programme for one hour per week in the spring and summer terms. This is taught by careers staff and introduces pupils to the range of post-18 options on offer. Time is afforded for individual careers research and small group interviews. In addition, each week there is a range of talks on offer from universities, colleges and employers.

In Year 14 pupils have a weekly one hour careers lesson in the first term of the academic year. The programme begins with a Pre-UCAS Day at the end of August and initially focuses on the UCAS application process and alternatives. Pupils then study the job application process including interviews and what employers want. University interview advice is covered for those who require this. Later in the term, student finance, university life and career pathways from degree courses are investigated. There are weekly talks on offer from universities, colleges and employers.

Annual events for parents include:

Recognising that these career decisions can be stressful for parents too, the School provides information evenings for parents, in association with universities from across the British Isles. The implications of subject choices made at school are considered in the light of the most up-to-date labour market information.

UCAS information evening in early September for Year 14 parents.
Introduction to Higher Education and work experience for Year 13 parents in early September.
Ballyclare Learning Community Careers Convention for Years 10, 12 & 13 parents and pupils in late January/early February.
Information evening on choosing A level subjects for Year 12 parents and pupils in February.
Information evening on choosing GCSE subjects for Year 10 parents and pupils in February.

Annual Trips and Visits

Year 12 girls interested in engineering visit Schlumberger, in Newtownabbey for an information day in February.
Two Year 13 pupils participate in the student shadowing scheme in Pembroke College, Cambridge trip in March.
Year 13 pupils attend the UCAS N.I. Higher Education Convention in March/April.
Year 13 pupils interested in education attend the Stranmillis College Open Day in February.
Year 13 pupils interested in medicine and engineering attend the annual conferences in Methodist College, Belfast.
Year 14 pupils attend QUB Open day and the Higher Education Convention in Methodist College, Belfast in early September.
Year 14 pupils attend UU Open day in early September.
A range of open days in various work places including hospitals, law firms, accountancy and ICT companies is offered to interested Year 13 pupils.

Local Business Links

Dennison Commercials

Pupils at key transition points benefit greatly from the careers department’s link with Dennison Commercials in Ballyclare. Managers and staff from the company are generous in giving of their time and expertise to assist pupils with career planning, including offering interview skills training and practice interviews, work experience and talks on careers and apprenticeships in the company.

Ballyclare Learning Community Careers Convention

The annual Ballyclare Learning Community Careers Convention brings employers , professionals, colleges and universities from across the British Isles to Ballyclare as can be seen in the photos below.

Work Experience

Work experience is offered to all Year 13 pupils during a specified three day period in June. In addition, sixth formers may attend relevant open days, information events and work inspiration events organised by Charter Work Experience in conjunction with employers. Pupils in years 12, 13 and 14 are encouraged to organise further work placements on staff development days or in holidays to help them to make informed career and higher education decisions and to develop employability skills. Year 12 pupils who do not plan to return to school after GCSE are facilitated in organising work experience.

Careers guidance interviews are organised for all Year 10 pupils over a 2-day period in February to help pupils make informed GCSE subject choices. All Year 12 pupils are offered an interview with one of the School’s DEL careers advisers between September and March to help with their post-16 decision-making. Small group interviews (for pupils with similar career and Higher Education interests) are organised for all Year 13 pupils between February and May. All pupils at key transition points and their parents are offered individual career guidance interviews on request.

Useful Careers Websites

Website	What it’s useful for
www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/careers	• Contact a careers adviser. • Career ideas for 14-19 year olds • Work experience opportunities • Career planning advice • Job application advice • Education & training courses • Careers events • Tips for parents
www.careersoft.co.uk (login: rbdkma38)	• Ideas generator • Info on different career & study areas • Pathways from A level subjects • Courses & Higher Education Institutions • Factsheets
www.ucas.com (Also use www.cao.ie)	• Search for Higher Education courses • Choosing what and where to study • How to apply • Student finance & money management • Alternatives to Higher Education • Apprenticeships • Options after GCSE • Web chats with experts • Advice for parents
www.heaponline.co.uk (Access code: OGXVPLMU – may be invalid)	• Degree Course Offers
www.unistats.direct.gov.uk	• Compare university courses using key information sets
www.qub.ac.uk	• Example of searching university courses & entry requirements • PDF: ‘How we choose our students’
www.investigatecareers.com (Password: kangaroo)	• Resources directory • Labour market information
www.economy-ni.gov.uk	• “Skills in Demand” NI Skills Barometer • Employment trends 2015-2025 • Qualifications and salaries overview
www.prospects.ac.uk	• Pathways from degree subjects • What do graduates do?
www.kent.ac.uk/careers	• Great info on all aspects of careers
www.highfliers.co.uk	• Graduate vacancies & salaries in UK’s leading employers
www.ccea.org.uk/regulation/guidance/universityhei_applications	• How to apply to universities in ROI & outside the British Isles