We hope you enjoyed the bank holiday weekend. As we (still) await the updated statutory guidance a slimmed down newsletter for you this week. To continue to help you prepare for the upcoming changes we have created a useful summer term checklist for careers leader full of useful links and information. There are also links to slides and recording of last weeks AI masterclass and our Term 3 Kick off meeting and an exciting announcement about our inclusion conference taking place later this term.
Inclusion Conference – we’re pleased to announce that the South Midlands Careers Hub will be hosting an Inclusion Conference on Tuesday 1st July 2025 at The Forest Centre, Station Rd, Marston Moretaine. This will be for Careers Leaders and Industry Partners working in Special schools and Alternative Provision settings. There will also be a limited number of places available to SENDCos working in mainstream settings (with the option for the careers leader to also attend as their plus one)
The conference will focus on preparing for the updated Gatsby Benchmarks and ensuring compliance with Provider Access Legislation, with a SEND-specific focus. In addition, there be guest speakers, interactive workshops, exhibitor stalls and networking opportunities. A registration link via Microsoft Forms will be shared directly shortly, but in the meantime, please save the date or if you work in mainstream share with your SENDCo
For Information
Term 3 Kick off – narrated slides from our term 3 kick off meeting can be found here and download below
Careers Hub Industry Newsletter – you may have seen our reimagined industry newsletter on Linked In – copy available below, please share with employers and volunteers in your network
CPD Opportunities
Learn more about key product functionality and how it can effectively support you to make important strategic decisions about careers delivery in your institution. Click on the webinar titles below to register
Thursday 8th May, 3.30pm – 4.30pm – Delivery, analysis and impact of Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ) – https://bit.ly/3DL2aAJ Thursday 15th May, 3.30pm – 4.30pm – Preparing for and recording a Careers Impact internal leadership review – https://bit.ly/4jdUHJv Tuesday 20th May, 3.30pm – 4.30pm – Compass+ : Using data intelligence – https://bit.ly/3FVM47K Thursday 22nd May, 3.30pm – 4.30pm – Using Compass+ effectively to support learners with SEND – https://bit.ly/3FMByjc
If you are unable to attend a webinar, register for the webinar anyway and you will be emailed a copy of the webinar recording after the session
Webinar to Support Current Unqualified Staff in School who wish to train to teach and gain their QTS – 21st May 5-6pm – Please share details below with staff in your school
This webinar is designed to support those currently working in school who do not hold a QTS qualification: It will explain
The different routes available to enable these staff members to train to teach. This will include tuition fee and apprentice routes.
How The Postgraduate and Teacher Apprenticeship Degrees work.
How the funding for these and other QTS courses work.
With the updated benchmarks, incoming updated statutory guidance and Modern Work Experience on the horizon and what will already be a busy term with many events, trips, visits, exams and work experience taking place along with strategic planning for 2025/26 we have created a handy checklist with links to tools and resources to help you.
Welcome back, we hope you had a great break and are well rested and energised for the term ahead.
Next week we will be sending out our latest industry newsletter so please add your volunteer requests by the end of the week. Increase engagement by adding a photo from a previous event or your school/college logo. Remember to ensure you give enough information and a full description of the activity easily understood by someone outside of education, offer flexibility where possible for volunteers that may not be available for the duration of the event and include the aim of the event and how it will impact students.
Celebrating Success
There were some really impactful employer engagement events taking place last term across our careers family, so before we dive into into another hectic term lets celebrate the hard work of our careers family with some examples of whats been happening across the hub. If you have a success story that you would like to share please let your Careers Consultant know.
Schools in Milton Keynes have had an incredibly productive term! The variety of career opportunities and initiatives such as workplace experiences, alumni talks, and employer visits, are fantastic ways to engage students and broaden their horizons.
The Hospitality Connect project seems particularly impactful, with its hotel visits, assemblies, and chef sessions. It’s wonderful to hear that younger students at Ousedale School had the chance to interact with a hotelier, sparking curiosity about careers in hospitality. Engaging students at KS3 is a great strategy to help them explore future options early on.
Following up with attendance at transition evenings for parents and carers ensures that everyone involved has the chance to learn about the various roles and pathways in the industry. It’s clear that the schools in Milton Keynes are dedicated to providing comprehensive career education and support. 🌟
The Duston School: Teacher CPD/Employer Engagement
Duston School kicked off 2025 in style with an employer/teacher engagement event, supported by over thirty five employers who turned out on a, quite frankly, horrible winter morning to engage with educators sharing insights into their industry sectors. The South Midlands Careers Hub were delighted to be part of the planning process.
The team at Duston, Principal, Sam Strickland, Careers Leader, Diane Fisher, Careers SLT Link, Simon Beal, Industry Partner, Helen Russell and staff body warmly welcomed the business community, facilitating meaningful conversations.
Apprenticeship Volunteers Inspire Year 9 Students at Manor School, Raunds
Six dedicated apprentice volunteers took centre stage at Manor School in Raunds, offering Year 9 students an insightful exploration of apprenticeship opportunities. Max Deans of KIER Construction, George Smith of Weetabix, Hannah-Louise Iddon of Pinsent Masons, Hannah Gonzalez of Delapré Abbey, Joshua Barnett of easipc Services Ltd, and Jaeceena Anderson of Greatwell Homes shared their personal journeys, highlighting the value and versatility of vocational career paths.
The event provided an interactive platform where students engaged directly with the panel, asking their own questions and receiving authentic, first-hand insights into apprenticeship life. This two-way exchange ensured a meaningful and comprehensive understanding of apprenticeships, equipping students with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their futures.
“This is a fantastic example of the power of engagement between industry and education,” said a spokesperson from the event. “Thanks to the support of local business leaders, young people can explore all post-16 and post-18 pathways, enabling well-informed decision-making about their careers.”
George Smith from Weetabix shared his thoughts on the event, describing it as “well-organised, simple, and effective.” He encouraged others to get involved as Young Inspirers, stating, “Great way to express apprentice work that you may do, letting the younger generation know how good they can be instead of just considering university’.” Reflecting on his experience, he added, “It was great fun, improved my public speaking skills, and helped me build valuable workplace connections.”
Max Dean of KIER Construction added “I really enjoyed being on the young inspirers panel again, the students were great and really engaged throughout the session. Once the ball got rolling they were more confident to ask more questions. All information and support was provided prior to the day, including a virtual meeting with the other panellists and school staff – making arriving on the day far easier.”
“It’s really great for students to see lived experiences and have the opportunity to speak to people that were once sat in the same assembly hall as them, even in Year 9, it’s so important to start the conversations around careers and apprenticeships. This is the second time I have been on a young inspirer panel and both times I have returned to work feeling proud and like I have helped make a difference.”
Year 8 Speed Networking – Wrenn School
A fantastic Speed Networking event with Year 8 students at Wrenn School. In this fast-paced format, employers had just three minutes with small groups of students as they tried to guess their jobs , well done to Joanne Bolton for organising such an excellent event!
Testimonial from Mike Foster, Digital Service Delivery Manager, Tresham College
‘Participating in the speed networking event with Year 8 students at Wrenn School was a truly rewarding experience. Seeing such enthusiastic young minds eager to learn, ask insightful questions, and explore different career paths was inspiring. One of the most engaging aspects was when students had the opportunity to guess the jobs we do—I was genuinely surprised by how quickly many of them identified mine!
Testimonial from Rebecca Drage: Senior IT Technician Tresham College
‘It was particularly meaningful to see the growing recognition that women belong in STEM fields. Compared to just a few years ago, it’s amazing how perceptions have evolved, opening doors for young girls to envision their futures in science and technology. I left feeling both inspired and hopeful for the future, knowing that events like these play a crucial role in shaping aspirations and breaking barriers.’
Northamptonshire Business Network
Careers Coordinator at Latimer Arts College, Vicky Stanyon and Industry Partner, Vikki Overson, U-Work Professional took the plunge into the world of networking by attending the Northamptonshire Business Exhibition, held on Thursday 6th March at Wickstead Park. There they met Simon Cox, Director of NNBN (Northamptonshire Business Network) and Head of Policy for Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce who said, ‘I can’t stress how important it is for local businesses to support the future of tomorrow and share our business knowledge and experience with students’. Well done to both Vicky and Vikki for stepping out of their comfort zone and raising the profile of the Latimer Arts College careers programme.
Sustainability workshop at Chiltern Academy
Chiltern Academy and their Enterprise Adviser from London Luton Airport (LLA), Hannah Dunford, have collaborated to develop and deliver a highly impactful sustainability-focused careers event. This initiative culminated in a dedicated Sustainability Workshop held at LLA’s Head Office on Thursday, November 7th, coinciding with Green Careers Week. Fifteen Year 9 pupils were selected to participate in this unique experience.
The workshop was carefully designed to educate students about the far-reaching effects of climate change and, crucially, the skills needed for climate adaptability in the modern workplace, specifically within the context of an airport environment. The students had the invaluable opportunity to hear from three guest speakers working in sustainability-related roles at LLA. These professionals shared their experiences and insights, providing a real-world perspective on career opportunities within the sector and the diverse entry routes available. This direct interaction with industry professionals provided the students with tangible examples of how their studies can translate into future careers.
The Chiltern Academy pupils embraced the project brief with enthusiasm, embodying the school’s “Chiltern Champion Values.” They engaged actively in the workshop, generating outstanding ideas to improve sustainability at LLA. Student feedback highlights the event’s success. Adwoa noted, “We learned lots about sustainability in the aviation industry and what LLA does to reduce their impact on climate change. We found out how exactly climate change affects the world including the impact on travel and local areas. We then came up with ways to solve problems the airport is facing.” Abi commented, “My opinion on the trip was that it was very interesting because we got to learn about some of the jobs that have an important role in Luton airport and their experiences about their jobs. They showed us how climate change can affect Luton airport and the ways they have tried to adapt to it.” Another student, NE, described the day, saying, “We talked to professionals about their jobs: there were Sustainability Performance Enhancers, Habitat & Painting Manager, Executive Event Planner and much more. We did a competition on who had the best poster idea on how to improve sustainability at the airport and some people even did a product that would help. We got green water bottles and pens as a reward. We learnt a lot of information about how the airport doesn’t just take people to destinations but how they try to fix the environment with specialist workers. Today was really amazing and it will help me in the future to know more about sustainability.”
The workshop not only provided valuable insights into sustainability within the aviation industry but also encouraged students to think creatively and critically about solutions to environmental challenges. The collaborative approach between Chiltern Academy and LLA, facilitated by their Enterprise Adviser, has provided these students with a significant and inspiring experience, potentially influencing their future career paths. This project has benefited significantly from the collaborative partnership with Hannah, whose experience and expertise have been instrumental in enriching students’ aspirations. Furthermore, the collaboration has provided a valuable opportunity for Hannah to develop her facilitation skills, while simultaneously enhancing the career leader’s understanding of local labour market information (LMI) and relevant initiatives.
Key dates for your diary
Summer term kick off meeting
28/04/25
Modern Work Experience consultation – Northampton
21/05/25
Modern Work Experience Consultation – Bedfordshire
04/06/25
Modern Work Experience consultation – Milton Keynes
12/06/25
New Career Leader Induction
16/06/25
Bedford Borough CL network meeting
13/05/25
Central Bedford CL network meeting
16/05/25
Luton CL network meeting
09/06/25
MK CL network meeting
05/06/25
North Northants CL network meeting
13/05/25
West Northants CL network meeting
22/05/25
For Action
If you haven’t done so already please share details of 4YP’s Careers Guidance Community Group’s next meeting with your Careers Adviser.
CDI Webinar: Update on Post-16 qualifications reform, Wednesday 30 April, 11 am, online. Want to understand what’s changing from 2026 and how it affects learners? Post-16 qualifications are under reform, with decisions underway about which routes and subjects will be available from 2026. Hear from the DfE on level 3 reformed qualifications – from AAQs to technical routes – and how these can be combined for learners. NCFE will also share how they support providers and Higher Education Institutions in their role as an awarding organisation. book here
Careers in racing work with 2 training providers the National Horseracing College (in Doncaster) & The British Racing School in Newmarket This is where the apprenticeships will start with a residential stay and is available from 16 years-old. You work towards a Level 2 Diploma in Race Horse Care on the Foundation Course this would incorporate a residential stay at one of the training providers where you would learn to care & race ride. Once completed there you would then start your apprenticeship at a trainer in the industry. Both training providers have open days which you can visit the facilities and find out about the courses.
Careers in Racing also showcase the vast mix of jobs you can do in the sport. This ranges from media, marketing, events, sales but first part jobs on a racecourse such as hospitality & seasonal staff. We can also participate in careers fairs, events in person or with online webinars explaining about all the roles and how someone can find their career path in the sport. We also have plenty of online content so if your interested in that please let me know.
They are hosting several Explore Racing Days up and down the country this is an opportunity for guests to come along and find out about the options and careers paths in the sport on the racecourse. You can keep an eye on the following page for this https://careersinracing.com/explore-racing-days/ or if you have a group keen and local to a course we can arrange something. Plus we have early careers programmes that young people can also get involved in, one of which is our Step on Track Programme which can be more of a bespoke day designed for your group or network.
Useful contact for British Racing School British Racing School – Naomi Lawson Naomi.Lawson@brs.org.uk
Latest Army Careers Newsletter from Beds / Northants outreach is now available to download
With 4 sleeps to go until the Easter Break this is our last newsletter of the term. If you have not already done so please ensure you complete a Compass evaluation before you break up. Next term is going to be a busy one so do take a look at some of the key dates that we have coming up.
Compass evaluation tip – to save time rather than completing a new evaluation, copy across your last one and update and changes – details here
Upcoming Dates
Following on from last week’s modern work experience update we are hosting a series of stakeholder consultations next term taking place across our patch these dates and area where they are taking place below along with other key dates for next term. Places will be limited and further details will be shared next term.
Summer term kick off meeting
28/04/25
MWE consultation – Northampton
21/05/25
MWE Consultation – Bedfordshire
04/06/25
MWE consultation – Milton Keynes
12/06/25
New Career Leader Induction
16/06/25
Bedford Borough CL network meeting
13/05/25
Central Bedford CL network meeting
16/05/25
Luton CL network meeting
09/06/25
MK CL network meeting
05/06/25
North Northants CL network meeting
13/05/25
West Northants CL network meeting
22/05/25
For Action
With the updates to Gatsby BM4 everypupil in everyyear should have the opportunity to learn how the knowledge and skills developed in every subject help them gain entry to and be more effective workers, within a wide range of careers.
My Learning, My Future is a suite of Benchmark 4 resources to help subject teaching staff to highlight the relevance of their subjects to future careers and pathways
To further support you the Careers & Enterprise Academy the new home of careers education CPD has two courses aimed at teachers to introduce them to careers and to support them with careers in the curriculum ACTION – ensure you get some teacher CPD for careers scheduled in. Benchmark four now also has a requirement for careers to form part of the ongoing staff development programme for teachers and all staff who support pupils.
For information
Local cohort – Career Leader training. We are planning to run two local cohorts for the CEC funded career leader training next academic year on to begin in September and one in the spring term. We plan on doing this in partnership with the University of Derby again and after listening to feedback from this years cohort the course will span a longer period of time and will consist of
Introductory webinar
In person workshops 1 & 2
Middle webinar
In person supported study day including access to hub ambassador, EC & hub lead
In person workshops 3 & 4
Final webinar
We are just finalising dates and will share these as soon as available. Please note that the CEC will continue to fund the cost of the course (providing you complete the course) and will still be providing a bursary paid to your school upon completion. However with effect from March this year this will be reduced from £1000 to £500.
Internal Leadership review – if you have not yet done your internal leadership review here’s a Easter bonus to help you – a new short course to support you with understanding and preparing for your Careers Impact internal leadership review, available on The Careers & Enterprise Academy. Make haste, invitations to take part in Peer to Peer reviews will be winging their way to those that have completed ILRs early next term.
This week we have an update for you on the governments vision to deliver 2 weeks’ of work experience for every young person. Linked to this, as many of you are already aware we are in the process of collating information on current work experience provision in the schools and colleges in or hub which will help inform national policy as well as the support that we offer locally. If you have not yet completed your experience of the workplace survey already please get in touch asap to organise a time to do this. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have your voice heard!
We also have some LMI resources and facts to help you support parents and young people to understand and use labour market information, some upcoming CPD opportunities, info on 4YP’s Career Adviser CPD group and a great video from GATSBY highlighting the impact a whole school approach can have on the aspirations, achievement and career readiness of their students, one to share with governors, leaders and staff.
Modern Work Experience – the governments vision to deliver two weeks’ of work experience for every young person (by the end of KS4)
Ambition to deliver 2 week’s worth of work experience for every young person with a focus on multiple, targeted and variable workplace experience totalling 10 days
Expect work experience to be pivotal in improving work readiness and employability
Experiences should be aspirational and inspirational, employer led, first hand and active (two way employer-pupil interaction)
Expected to be broken down into a weeks’ worth years 7-9 & a further weeks’ worth years 10 – 11.
Years 7-9 – Multiple and varied employer-led activities (individual or group, supplementing in person with hybrid or virtual experience, where this can add value) to explore different industries and occupations in line with Gatsby Benchmark 6
Year 10 – 11 – Work experience placement(s) totalling one weeks’ worth in an industry matched to young people’s interests and career aspirations. This should allow pupils to experience a real working environment and begin to develop work-based skills and behaviors
As a reminder the updated benchmarks give a clear definitions of meaningful. Benchmark 6, specifications below
a clear purpose, which is shared with the employer and the young person
be underpinned by learning outcomes that are appropriate to the needs of the young person
involve extensive two-way interactions between the young person and employees
include opportunities for young people to meet a range of different people from the workplace
include opportunities for young people to perform a task set by the employer or to produce a piece of work relevant to that workplace
include the employer providing feedback to the young person about their work
be followed by opportunities for the young person to reflect on the insights, knowledge or skills gained through their experience
Indicative policy timeline
November 24 – launch Gatsby next 10 report
Spring 25 – updated statutory guidance
September 25 statutory guidance implemented
Spring 26 (provisional) – statutory guidance update – work experience expectation for school
September 26 (provisional) – statutory guidance update implemented
Theme 5 of the the ILR (internal leadership review) focuses on encounters with employers/employees and experiences of the workplace (Benchmarks 5 and 6) and completing this will inform strategic planning for implementation.
Take a look at our Equalex slide deck here which gives examples of delivery models and modern work experience through the eyes of a learner. We will be covering this this in more detail at our summer career leader network meetings
Careers Advisers – free CPD Group – please share with you careers adviser
4YP, specialists in career guidance, facilitates a Careers Guidance community group for all career advisers/coaches working with young people in the south midlands area.
Our Spring term meeting was held in January, where we explored factors influencing vocational decision making. We talked about the various and numerous factors prevalent amongst our young people today, and how this ties in with career development theories.
These meetings are about bringing careers advisers together, sharing best practice, supporting each other and providing a *free* CPD top-up! If you are a Careers Adviser working 1:1 with students, and would like to join us for our next virtual meeting after Easter, please email info@4ypuk.com
LMI Resources
The updated Gatsby Benchmarks require schools and colleges to support both students and parents at all key stages to understand and use LMI. This week we are sharing a couple of ways you could do this. If you have any impactful LMI resources or activities please share careershub@southmidlands.org.uk
London Luton Airport Key Stage 3 Resources
London Luton Airport have just launched a new digital workshop for key stage 3 students, which they have developed in partnership with Skills Builder. There are three teacher-led workshops available, for students in years 7, 8 & 9. They are a great local, labour market resource for schools to use with their students to highlight the range of careers and opportunities available within an airport and wider aviation sector.
Please see below a quiz and some key facts about Milton Keynes and the hospitality sector created by our Careers Coordinator Mandy Browning that could be used to raise awareness of both the area and the sector with both students and parents.
Quiz
1 What percentage of the UK workforce works in hospitality? A 10% of the UK workforce currently works in hospitality which is 3.5 million people
2 What do you think are the top three skills needed for a job in this industry? A Top 3 skills needed are communication, teamwork and customer service
3 How many unique roles are there within an average fully serviced hotel A There are 50 different, unique roles within an average fully serviced hotel
4 How many people in Milton Keynes work in hospitality? A 13,600 people currently work across 359 hospitality businesses in MK
5 6 Nationally how much does the hospitality contribute to the UK economy A Hospitality Industry contributes £93 billion to the UK economy
Key facts
National
10% of the UK workforce currently works in hospitality which is 3.5 million people
91% of hospitality businesses report challenges with recruitment and the sector carries a bigger skills gap than any other priority sector (by the Business London survey last year.)
Hospitality Industry contributes £93 billion to the UK economy
There are 45 apprenticeship standards in hospitality (for ages 16 and 18+)
There are 50 different, unique roles within an average fully serviced hotel
Top 3 skills needed are communication, teamwork and customer service
Local
13,600 people currently work across 359 hospitality businesses in MK
Milton Keynes has the highest visitor spend of all UK cities and ranks number 1 for retail spends by overnight visitors!
Milton Keynes attracts around twice as many visitors as you would expect for its size – putting us in line with Brighton and Edinburgh
Mapping out the employers on your doorstep
The Careers Team at The Stockwood Park Academy have had the brilliant idea of posting a huge map in their office, highlighting all the different businesses and organisations in surrounding area and what careers students can go in to, helping student to understand and use LMI
Upcoming CPD Opportunities
ARU Teacher and Advisor Conference – April 2024
This is your chance to come visit us for the day and take part in various sessions, designed to support you in your role as a Teacher/Advisor to post-16 students. The conference is FREE TO ATTEND.
We are running 3 conferences across our campuses and the dates are:
Tuesday 29th April 2025 – Cambridge
Wednesday 30th April 2025 – Chelmsford
Wednesday 7th May 2025 – Peterborough
The conference will run from 9am – 3pm on each of the days. You only need to book on to one conference as the sessions at each will be the same.
Lunch will be provided.
Some of the sessions will include Degree Apprenticeships, Student Finance, the new Personal Statements format and much more!
The event is FREE and lunch will be provided to all delegates attending on the day. Spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment. Register Here
If you have any questions please contact Louise Newley, Schools and Colleges Engagement Officer, louise.newley@aru.ac.uk.
LinkedIn for Educators – Free workshop Tuesday 18th March 15.45
Want to help your students succeed beyond the classroom? Looking for an easy way to build a network of inspiring career speakers and work experience opportunities? Join us for 40 minutes of FREE, practical advice on how to use LinkedIn to support your students, strengthen your school community, and develop your own professional brand.
What You’ll Learn:
✅ How to keep in touch with ex-students and turn them into valuable career speakers & mentors.
✅ The 3 essentials that make a LinkedIn profile stand out.
✅ FREE tools to help students and educators create professional profiles.
✅ How students can use LinkedIn as a powerful Personal Branding tool.
✅ How to grow and develop your network.
✅ Step-by-step guidance on setting up and utilising your school’s Alumni page.
And think of all the connections you could make! ✨
Keeping it brief this week as appreciate many of you will have lots of NCW related activities and events happing throughout the week. We would love to hear more about your activities this week and share across our SMCH careers family. Please email careershub@southmidlands.org.uk and tag @southmidlandscareeershub into anything you share on LinkedIn.
Masterclasses
We had a great turn out for our last masterclass which focused on another of the themes that came out of the Gatsby 10 year review – Engagement of Parents & Carers. Please find the slide deck below and a copy of the recording here. Massive thank you again to our Sarah MacDougall from Wootton Park school for her fab contribution and to Dawn Lord from Vandyke Upper School for sharing her great practice too.
Our next masterclass is 18/03/24, focusing on another of the 5 themes from Gatsby 10 meaningful and varied encounters and experiences. Calendar invites will be sent out to Careers Leaders this week. Details of relevant info from the updated GBM (Gatsby10) below
‘The most impactful careers guidance balances the number and variety of encounters and experiences in education and work, while also providing time for young people to prepare and reflect. This principle has been recognised by expanding the definitions of ‘meaningful’ in Benchmarks 5 and 7 and adding one to Benchmark 6. The updated definitions encourage variation and flexibility in how educational institutions and employers work with young people, with a focus on ensuring the activity has a real impact and benefits their decision-making.
Planning encounters and experiences as part of a progressive and sequenced careers program for each student will also help ensure the greatest impact.
All three definitions emphasise that encounters should offer young people the opportunity to experience what study or work is truly like in that setting, including the recruitment and application process. They also stress the importance of sharing the purpose of the activity with all involved parties, ensuring the activity is underpinned by learning outcomes, promoting two-way interaction between young people and employers or education institutions, and supporting young people to prepare for their interactions and reflect on what they have learned. For a meaningful workplace experience, the importance of students being assigned tasks by the employer and receiving feedback on their work has also been highlighted.
The importance of young people engaging with a broad range of stakeholders has been made clear.
Benchmark 5 emphasises engagement with the self-employed, businesses of various sizes, and different sectors.
Benchmark 6 encourages meeting a variety of people in the workplace.
Benchmark 7 stresses interacting with a range of staff and students.
The definitions also reiterate the need for tailored support for disadvantaged, vulnerable, and SEND students.
As technology changes workplaces and recruitment practices, it can support young people in their preparation and expand the range of educational institutions, businesses, and other agencies they can access. However, virtual encounters and experiences should complement, not replace, in-person activities.’
Using AI to support planning and delivery30/04/2025 @14.00
This will be a practical session delivered by Rob Howe , Head of Learning & Technology at University of Northampton. Prior to joining the session please check you can log on to Copilot or Chat GTP etc.
Agenda to include
Intro to AI via a fun task!
Using AI to support developing plans
Using AI to support development of resources and presentations
Ethics
If you have any specific questions or anything in particular you would like covered lease email mandy.green@southmidlands.org.uk wit AI Masterclass I the subject box
Generation Logistics free resources
Details and links below to new resources from Generation Logistics to help you inspire your learners about careers in the fast-paced, well-paid world of logistics! All the resources are ready to be weaved into dynamic, engaging lessons including:
📐Maths: Mini Market Produce a feasibility study to determine whether an electric van should replace a diesel lorry
🖥️ Computing: Programming A coding challenge to create a working computer programme to calculate how much a journey costs
⚛️ Science: Which fuel is best?Building pupils’ knowledge so they are able to select the best fuel for delivery vans and justify their choice
⚙️ Tech & Engineering: Podcast – What future careers can engineering and tech enable? James, Sanjay and Lucy talk about the importance of engineering and technology in logistics
Educator Hub:All the resources featured are curriculum relevant and ready to be weaved into dynamic, engaging lessons. Use the filter function to display according to key stage or subject (and find the perfect content for your students!).
Careers Booklet:Our hope is to help you deliver memorable learning experiences that deliver career- changing moments along the way
Good morning, thank you to all of you that joined us for our Internal Leadership Review (ILR) masterclass last week. Big thank you again to John Ambrose, Complete Careers & Jo Saward, Creative Education. For those of you that couldn’t make it please find recording HERE and link to download the slide deck below
Our next masterclass is on 25/02/25 from14.00 to 14.45 and will be focusing on the engagement of parents & carers, a meeting link will be emailed directly to all careers leaders. If you are not a Careers Leader and would like to attend please email careershub@southmidlands.org.uk. The engagement of parents & carers is a key theme that is threaded throughout the updated Gatsby benchmarks. Engagement with parents & carers, is now included in Benchmark 1 as part of the strategic planning of careers programmes and throughout the framework there is an emphasis on not only sharing information about education and career options but also supporting them in accessing and utilizing this information in conversations with their children.
Volunteers needed! If you have an example of how you do this, that you could share please speak your careers consultant.
Introducing the Careers & Enterprise Academy
The Careers & Enterprise Academy is the new online home of careers leadership for Careers Leaders and all those who work with them to plan and deliver strategic, progressive careers programmes.
The learning content provides opportunities to build foundational knowledge as a new Careers Leader, and then develop deeper skills, including using our digital tools to drive impact, and how to engage parents/carers in careers.
Tailored content for those in other roles including Education Leaders, Governors, SENCOs and the wider education workforce are also available to help everyone effectively play their part in helping young people find their best next step.
National Apprenticeships Week – Monday 10th – Sunday 16th of February 2025
Next week is National Apprenticeship Week and we know that many of you will already have a week of activities planned. We would love to hear about your week , both the successes and the lessons learnt! Please share with you careers consultant so we can make sure you are included in a ‘Celebrating Successes’ feature at the start of next term.
If you don’t have anything planned for next week here are a few quick wins
Apprenticeship Arcade – Engage students in your classroom, or set them enjoyable (yet educational) home learning tasks through the brilliant Apprenticeship Arcade. The suite of games will provide interactive and fun ways for students to explore and learn about apprenticeships, whilst working in groups or individually.
Display Materials – use this apprenticeship display materials bundle to create engaging and informative careers displays, including the Digital Display Pack, Apprentice Story Film Posters and an updated A-Z of Apprenticeship Traits Poster.
Subject display screens – a collection of subject-led display screens to be used around your school or college. The display screens focus on 20 school subjects and the many apprenticeship roles they link with. Each display screen highlights a range of apprentice roles linked to the subject to help inspire your students to think more broadly about their options!
Flip Out for Fun at the Wellingborough Pancake Race!
Ready, set, flip! Gather your friends, family, or colleagues and join the Wellingborough Pancake Race on Saturday, 1st March 2025!
Where: Market Street, Wellingborough
When: From 11am
Entry Fee: Absolutely FREE!
Whether you’re a pancake-flipping pro or a first-time flipper, this is your chance to show off your skills, have a laugh, and race for glory.
Enter your team today or run on your own!
Dress up, flip pancakes, and race to win a shiny medal !
How to Enter: Visit https://www.wellingboroughtowncouncil.gov.uk/council_events/wellingborough-pancake-race/
Hurry— you won’t want to miss the most flippin’ fun event of the year!
Let’s make this year’s race the best one yet.
Join us for a lunchtime networking event during National Apprenticeship Week (10th–14th February 2025) to explore the incredible opportunities apprenticeships offer in Northamptonshire.
This event brings together employers, apprentices, and those looking to learn more about apprenticeships.
Over a buffet lunch network with employers & providers in the room before finding out more about Apprenticeship & Apprenticeship Levy Reforms with talks from:
Plus speak to Providers about the Apprenticeships they offer.
Whether you’re an apprentice, a business already engaged in apprenticeships, or an employer seeking insights, this event is for you. Let’s connect and shape the future workforce together!
(* for any specific dietry requirements & allergens please email : Helen@therighttrackconsultancy.com)
We hope you are all settling into the new term, we have shorter update for you this week. Thank you to all of you that attended our Term 2 Kick Off meeting. You can view the slides from this briefing here.
All Careers Leaders should now have received a calendar invite to our first masterclass of the term which will be a 30 minute virtual session with an additional 15 minutes Q&A and discussion. This is taking place on Thursday 30th January and will cover Internal Leadership reviews including how careers can be positioned as a driver for school, special school and college improvement, the benefits for Careers Leaders and an opportunity to hear from local careers leads that have recently undertake an Internal Leadership Review.
If you would like to attend and have not received a calendar invite please email careershub@southmidlands.org.uk
Reminder – Key Dates for the Spring Term
Wednesday 22nd January – New Career Leader & Industry Partner Careers Hub Introduction (for all new CL & IPs that have not yet attended, an opportunity to join our Hub Leads and learn more about South Midlands careers Hub. Invite will be sent via Teams, email careershub@southmidlands.org.uk if you would like to attend)
Masterclasses – Calendar invitations will be sent out to all Career Leaders, if you do not receive an invitation and would like to attend please email careershub@southmidlands.org.uk.
Thursday 30th January – Masterclass – Internal Leadership Review
Tuesday 25th February – Masterclass – Parental Engagement
Tuesday 18th March – Masterclass – Making in Meaningful
Thursday 24th April – Masterclass – Universal vs Targeted Careers Education Programs
Career Leader Network Meetings
05/02/25 West Northants Career Leader Network Meeting
06/02/25 North Northants Career Leader Network Meeting
06/05/25 Central Bedfordshire Career Leader Network Meeting
27/02/25 MK Career Leader Network Meeting
Adding a volunteering opportunity to our Careers Hub Website
It has been great to see the variety of career learning opportunities taking place across the South Midlands! We though it would be helpful to share some feedback and tips on how to make your volunteer requests stand out.
Increase engagement by adding a photo from a previous event or if not your school/college logo
Remember to ensure you give enough information and a full description of the activity easily understood by someone outside of education
Offer flexibility where possible for volunteers that may not be available for the duration of the event
Volunteers love to feel valued, include how them volunteering will impact students
Don’t forget to proof read your content
Add events as far in advance as possible
Show your appreciation by capturing volunteers in a photo and or sharing some student/staff feedback on the impact they have had. We now produce a termly newsletter for our volunteers and this type of content would really help encourage more volunteers. Please share any potential content with your Careers Consultant or email careershub@southmidlands.org.uk
