Careers Leader
Careers Leaders are responsible and accountable for the planning, delivery and impact measurement of their school, special school or college’s strategic careers plan and progressive careers programme.
It’s a key role that involves aligning careers provision to the strategic priorities of the school, special school or college and overseeing work towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks in a meaningful way for young people.
The Careers Leader needs to be someone who can:
- Take responsibility for continuous improvement of the strategic careers plan and the progressive careers programme, which should be planned and implemented to ensure positive outcomes for young people.
- Coordinate and manage the various elements of the careers programme informed by a strategic careers plan aligned to school, special school or college priorities.
- Liaise with external partners, such as employers, learning providers and career guidance services.
- Pay careful attention to feedback from all stakeholders and to the destinations of pupils.
Developed with you in mind, we’ve made it easy to quickly find the trusted, high quality resources you need to make a difference. We’ve identified, and regularly update, key resources that can directly support you as you plan, implement and measure the impact of your strategic careers plan and progressive careers programme and as you work towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Spotlight
Careers Leader Induction: Free Online Learning
Careers Leader Induction: Free Online Learning
Guided Learning Hours: 2-4 hours
Careers Leader training
Transform your careers programme and develop your skills as a Careers Leader to strategically embed careers in the curriculum.
Gatsby Benchmark 1 Module 1: Creating a Strategic Careers Plan
The following resource and support are designed to support a Careers Leader to create a strategic careers plan. The resource and support include ‘Building a Strategic Careers Plan’ guidance document and a Careers Leader recorded webinar on this element of Benchmark 1.
Gatsby Benchmark toolkit – schools
Access case studies of best practice in schools, as well as tips and practical suggestions for successfully implementing the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
Gatsby Benchmark toolkit – colleges
Identify what ‘good’ looks like across all eight Gatsby Benchmarks, see useful case studies, and follow practical suggestions for putting the benchmarks into practice.
Gatsby Benchmark toolkit – SEND
If you are working to deliver the Gatsby Benchmarks for young people with SEND – in any setting – you will find lots of practical help in this toolkit.
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Example Strategic Careers Plan: The Link School (AP)
Example strategic careers plan from The Link School, Sunderland (AP).
This strategy covers 2021-2024 and was updated January 2021.
The strategy outlines the school’s vision for careers and the main aims of careers provision at the school.
Detail includes: vision, SWOT analysis strategic objectives and key actions. The School’s Provider Access policy is also included.
Discover Creative Careers
Funded by DCMS and led by industry, the Discover Creative Careers website is an online portal packed with information, resources and events to help young people explore roles in the creative industries. Starting with an interactive careers finder tool connecting to more than 520 job profiles and an opportunity directory of events, resources, skills competitions, virtual work experience and more.
IGD Work Experience week
If you are interested in helping your students learn about the food and grocery industry, we would recommend IGD Feeding Britains Futures. It is a free initiative that brings the industry together to develop students’ employability skills and learn about the wide range of roles in the industry.
HY Up Podcast
The HY Up Podcast is a series of interviews that captures the stories of inspiring people from all walks of life.
Endeavour Career Insight Films
Developed by Endeavour Training.
This resource is a set of employability films for young people and parents. The films are focussed on opportunities in Sheffield and the surrounding areas but have elements which are universal across all areas.
Transition programmes for young adults with SEND. What works?
Produced in 2017 this paper describes the evidence base for transition programmes for young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Schools, colleges and providers of careers and enterprise programmes are invited to use this evidence to inform the programmes that they are running and developing.
Careers in Psychiatry
Interested in a career in psychiatry? This guide and video will tell you everything you need to know about this fascinating profession, including what to expect from the role, the training pathways and different specialisms.
Careers and enterprise provision in England’s colleges in 2019: Detailed Gatsby Benchmark results
This report builds on the national results from the State of the Nation Report 2019 with additional analysis of the Compass data for colleges specifically, to provide Careers Leaders, college leaders and their external partners with the insights needed to make further progress.
EmployAbility Leisure Guides
EmployAbility Leisure is an initiative by Aspire (EmployAbility Leisure) to create more accessible and inclusive training and workplace environments for disabled people in the fitness and leisure sector. Evidence-based guidance published as a result for disabled people, training providers and employers is available for free, instant download here.
Experiences of workplaces - Practical ideas for achieving Gatsby Benchmark 6
This report provides practical insights from Careers Leaders about how to deliver meaningful workplace experiences for young people in secondary schools, colleges and special schools. It is targeted at schools and colleges seeking ideas for how to improve their provision.
Triage training framework
Triage in a careers setting is using information about young person’s career requirements and decisions to decide what support that young person requires and who the best person is to give that support.
The evidence on careers events. What works?
This report presents the evidence on the operation and impact of careers events held in UK schools and colleges.
