DYW – Interesting Practice: Skills Academy at St Matthew’s Academy

Published 01/01/2017.  Last updated 13/11/2023
sourcePractice exemplars

This is one in a series of ‘Interesting Practice’ exemplars which aim to provide ideas, inspiration and connections around the implementation of DYW.

It supports professional reflections around the Career Education and Work Placements Standards as well as School / Employer Partnerships.

How to use this exemplar

This exemplar aims to inspire reflective thinking by practitioners engaged in curriculum development. In particular it focuses on career education and the provision of work placements for young people in the senior phase. This exemplar is solution focused and outlines practical ideas on how to provide learners with meaningful experiences of the world of work, the opportunity to enhance skills for learning, life and work and gain additional qualifications. The videos provide an overview summary of the project including planning, core components, outcomes and next steps.

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

  • How effectively do you plan for progression pathways and outcomes of learners?
  • In what ways do you ensure that you meet the needs of all individuals in the senior phase
  • 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?

For further consideration please refer to the key DYW related resources released by Education Scotland so far.

What was done?

The Skills Academy is a 6 week initiative aimed at  providing learners with a variety of experiences that enhances their career management skills and links their learning directly to the world of work.

Why?

The ‘Skills Academy’ responded to the need of providing a focused and meaningful career education programme for learners not involved in official SQA examinations in the senior phase. As a consequence many of these young people would fail to advance their career pathways. Staff responsible for career education/MCMC in the school decided provide a coherent and engaging programme for learners that enhanced their skills for learning, life and work and opened up real employment opportunities as a result.

What was the impact?

As a result of this initiative the attendance of learners within this cohort improved significantly and young people engaged very well with the programme on offer. This lead to the enhancement of employability skills, providing certification in a number of areas. In two cases, this lead to direct employment within Seamill Hydro, the main business partner and event sponsor. Parents and staff who were invited to see the outcome of the 6 week initiative presented to them by the young people themselves were overwhelmed with their progress.

Videos

The following videos provide detailed information on this initiative:

 

 

 

 

 

Download

Word file: Skills Academy Programme 2015 (120 KB)

Word file: Skills summary: St Matthew's Academy (218 KB)

^ Back to top

DYW – Interesting Practice: Skills Academy at St Matthew’s Academy

Published 01/01/2017.  Last updated 13/11/2023
sourcePractice exemplars

This is one in a series of ‘Interesting Practice’ exemplars which aim to provide ideas, inspiration and connections around the implementation of DYW.

It supports professional reflections around the Career Education and Work Placements Standards as well as School / Employer Partnerships.

How to use this exemplar

This exemplar aims to inspire reflective thinking by practitioners engaged in curriculum development. In particular it focuses on career education and the provision of work placements for young people in the senior phase. This exemplar is solution focused and outlines practical ideas on how to provide learners with meaningful experiences of the world of work, the opportunity to enhance skills for learning, life and work and gain additional qualifications. The videos provide an overview summary of the project including planning, core components, outcomes and next steps.

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

  • How effectively do you plan for progression pathways and outcomes of learners?
  • In what ways do you ensure that you meet the needs of all individuals in the senior phase
  • 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?

For further consideration please refer to the key DYW related resources released by Education Scotland so far.

What was done?

The Skills Academy is a 6 week initiative aimed at  providing learners with a variety of experiences that enhances their career management skills and links their learning directly to the world of work.

Why?

The ‘Skills Academy’ responded to the need of providing a focused and meaningful career education programme for learners not involved in official SQA examinations in the senior phase. As a consequence many of these young people would fail to advance their career pathways. Staff responsible for career education/MCMC in the school decided provide a coherent and engaging programme for learners that enhanced their skills for learning, life and work and opened up real employment opportunities as a result.

What was the impact?

As a result of this initiative the attendance of learners within this cohort improved significantly and young people engaged very well with the programme on offer. This lead to the enhancement of employability skills, providing certification in a number of areas. In two cases, this lead to direct employment within Seamill Hydro, the main business partner and event sponsor. Parents and staff who were invited to see the outcome of the 6 week initiative presented to them by the young people themselves were overwhelmed with their progress.

Videos

The following videos provide detailed information on this initiative:

 

 

 

 

 

Download

Word file: Skills Academy Programme 2015 (120 KB)

Word file: Skills summary: St Matthew's Academy (218 KB)

^ Back to top