Careers
A careers programme has been set up to ensure that the school falls in line with the expectation of current guidelines. Within this programme we aim to work towards the Gatsby Benchmarks set out by Lord Sainsbury in 2014 and the government’s new Careers Strategy, published in December 2017, and statutory guidance for school leaders and school staff, published in January 2018, which set out the plan for building a high-quality careers system that will help all young people to achieve.
The Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Benchmarks have a key role in:
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Raising young people’s aspirations and promoting access to all career pathways
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Enabling all young people to develop the skills and outlook they need to achieve career wellbeing, including adaptability and resilience
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Underpinning the Department for Education guidance to schools on meeting their statutory responsibility for careers guidance.
Our commitment to you
We are proud to offer you the following services to help you transition to Post-16 options:
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Careers information and guidance from qualified advisers with good labour market knowledge.
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Impartial and unbiased information on the qualification and career paths that suit your interests and skills.
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Opportunities to meet employers, apprenticeships providers, explore further education options and take part in careers events and trips.
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Support to enhance the key skills employers are looking for and life skills.
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Help with research, applying and preparing for interviews.
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Help to access work-experience placements and vocational opportunities.
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Help to broaden your knowledge of the World of Work, your networks and horizons.
Your commitment to us
The effort you put into your learning and future planning will support your success. This includes:
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attending school and classes. Good attendance sets you up for a strong future!
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participating in Alternative Curriculum activities and considering work-experience placements as these will add to your CV and help you acquire new employability skills
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engaging in constructive discussions with our careers lead, careers advisers, tutors, employers and staff about your learning, future aims and progress
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taking part in events we organise so that you can learn new skills, meet employers who want to invest in you, and investigate all options to choose a pathway that suits you. It is important that you attend open events at colleges offering courses that are of interest to you so you can compare them and make the right choices for you
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attending careers fairs/apprenticeship/job fairs to explore your options
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offering feedback and ideas on how we can improve our careers programme.
Careers Guidance
Careers Guidance will focus on the specific needs of each individual student, promoting self-awareness and personal development. Each student will receive current and relevant information to enable informed decisions and future choices. All information will be delivered by qualified professionals, impartially and differentiated to suite specific needs. Each student will also have access to confidential, personalised careers guidance.
The Dorchester Learning Centre Careers Programme will promote the following to all students:
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Self-development through employability and enterprise education – planning & managing own future
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Raising aspirations and awareness of all available options at each transitional point.
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Learning about Careers and the world of work
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Developing career management, employability and enterprise skills
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Promoting equality, diversity, social mobility and challenging stereotypes.
Programme of Learning
The next steps for our students are of vital importance and we aim to give every learner the opportunities to explore the wide range of possibilities that are available to them. We aim to offer an aspirational and realistic curriculum that provides students with the knowledge and skills to make life-changing decisions for themselves.
Each learner from Year 7 to Year 11 has access to Unifrog, a destinations platform that provides an in-depth service showing the possibilities open to each person. Each user has a tailored account that is geared towards helping them set goals and the skills with which to achieve them.
Students at DLC all receive discrete weekly lessons in Careers and also receive independent careers advice with a qualified advisor. It is our aim to give our students access to employer encounters, including Work Experience opportunities. They also receive FE encounters and help with their transition from Year 11 to their next destination.
The staff at DLC understand that both the quality of academic learning and pastoral support that our students receive are paramount in providing them with the best chance to succeed. It is our responsibility to inspire and push our students to be the best version of themselves and for each one to have a clear plan when they leave the school.
A Stable Careers Programme
An embedded programme of careers education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers, governors and employers.
Learning from career and labour market information
Every student, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will have the support of an informed adviser to make the best use of the available information
Addressing the needs of each pupil
Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support should be tailored to the needs of each pupil. The careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
Linking curriculum learning to careers
All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.
Encounters with employers and employees
Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This could be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
Experiences of workplaces
Every student should have first- hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and / or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities and to expand their networks.
Encounters with further and higher education
All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.
Personal guidance
Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal (a member of staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These opportunities should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.
Post-16
Employers
Are you interested in working with our students? Could you provide information or experience on your profession? Are you interested in making a difference for future generations and your profession? If so, then please contact David Dinsmore via office@dlc.dorset.sch.uk for more information on how to get involved.