You are invited to use this exemplar to reflect on the following questions:

• In what ways does the curriculum provision and timetabling in your establishment incorporate career education for all learners?
• To what extend are partners involved in delivering meaningful, work related experiences for learners, the delivery of skills and qualifications as well as prospective career opportunities?

Download(s)

Word file: Ardrossan Academy (57 KB)

Powerpoint presentation: Skills for Learning, Life and Work (3 MB)

Powerpoint presentation: Enterprise Week (1.6 MB)

PDF file: Page from Ayrshire DYW blog (523 KB)

Explore this exemplar

What was done?

At Ardrossan Academy teachers work in partnership with businesses to shape the curriculum offer. Collaborations vary from site visits and work placements to ’team-teaching’. The stage and level these are offered at is down to subject areas, with a key focus for learners in S3. The course components and partnership offers are related to local Labour Market Information. Close links with the college sector enhance the career and work-based learning opportunities in the senior phase. Their engagement in the National STEM Project allowed them to forge strong links with industry partners in this sectors and deliver course aspects in relation to progression pathways for learners.

Why?

Ardrossan Academy have been proactive in engaging with DYW to enhance careers education in order to better prepare their learners for the world of work. With support from North Ayrshire, the local DYW group, Ayrshire College and our business partners we have been able to bring labour market trends to the classroom writing tailored relevant inputs into our curriculum.

What was the impact?

Learners are experiencing a curriculum in which they are developing more career related skills and learning more about local / national industry growth sectors and the careers which they can aspire to within these. By engaging young people in careers education they begin to be more motivated to achieve and strive towards positive destinations. At the same time staff are developing their abilities to discuss careers and the skills needed for the world of work by collaborating with their businesses partners.