Whickham School inspires students during National Apprenticeship Week
This week, schools throughout the country took part in National Apprenticeships Week. Hubs throughout the region took part as schools, colleges and employers engaged with and inspired young people in the Department for Education supported awareness campaigns. Whickham School, in Gateshead, fully embraced National Apprenticeship Week running activities and sharing resources with students.
Focus on Careers
Whickham School prides itself on its careers guidance, they state, ‘good careers guidance motivates young people by giving them a clearer idea of the routes into jobs and careers that they will find engaging and rewarding’. This week, the school hosted an Apprenticeship exhibition to help guide their young people into prospective career pathways.
Debbie Ross, KS5 Achievement, Careers Lead & Guidance Practitioner at Whickham School commented:
“At Whickham School we realise that the key to a good careers Programme is ensuring that our students have access to differentiated, impartial and independent information and guidance about the range of training opportunities available Post16 and Post18 coupled with Career insights and up-to-date Labour Market Information. By providing our students with relevant, credible and up to date information we can effectively support them make strong informed decisions.
Whilst our on-going CEIAG Programme provides regular updates and information on all pathways through both curriculum embedded careers and careers specific activities such as Job of the Week, the National Apprenticeship Week offers an ideal platform to shine a light on, de-mystify and debunk common misconceptions around the Apprenticeship Pathway in particular.
Our spotlight on apprenticeships programme started with a week of KS4 Tutor Time activities which looked at all Post 16 pathways available to them – this culminated last week, in a Post 16 Provider Exhibition in school, where students met Colleges, Training and Apprenticeship Providers to discuss their provision, opportunities and entry requirements.”
Tutor Time Activities
Tutor Time this week was focused on Apprenticeships, looking at key facts, the vast array of job roles now accessible via that pathway and information about the different levels and their entry requirements.
Debbie added:
“A key part of these sessions is the video content where students hear directly from apprentices in a range of sectors and job roles about their experiences – each giving their own unique view of life as an apprentice. These Tutor time activities are complemented across school with subject specific careers displays and reference to pathways and opportunities during curriculum time.
We are committed to helping our students understand the positive career impacts of apprenticeships and to raising awareness of the increasingly diverse career options and sectors now accessible via that route. In particular we use Labour Market Information to highlight some of the opportunities in our North East growth and emerging sectors such as health and life sciences, energy and off-shore – this not only ensures that our students develop future-ready skills and knowledge, but also ensures that we are developing a pipeline of informed, aspirational workers to strengthen our North East Economy and beyond.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East commented:
“Well done to Whickham School for their dedicated careers provision helping young people in the region develop their knowledge for pathways into working life. It’s wonderful to see how the school has embraced National Apprenticeship Week. Whickham provides a great opportunity for its students to understand potential career pathways and prepare themselves for the world after school.”
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