Developing young people’s employability skills

1. Developing young people’s employability skills Sue Barr Strengthening Careers Education and Guidance in Schools CDI Regional Conferences Autumn 2014

2. Employability – definition …having the capability to gain initial employment, maintain employment and obtain new employment if required

3. For the individual, employability depends on: • their assets in terms of the knowledge, skills and attitudes they possess • the way they use and deploy those assets • the way they present them to employers • the context (e.g. personal circumstances and labour market environment) within which they see work

4. What Do Employers Want? Breadth – the ability to apply knowledge across situations Depth of technical & functional knowledge & skills

5. Employer 1 • passionate about retail • focusing on customer & striving to understand them • driven to achieve results through determination • committed to fairness and consistency • willing to roll up your sleeves and get things done • determined to respond to feedback • motivated to work in partnership to achieve results • adaptable and flexible to work in 24/7 business • devoted to investing in own development

6. Employer 2 • highly motivated – inspired to take on responsibility early in career • resilient and tough – able to operate under pressure • commercially minded – committed to company goals • teamworker – genuine interest in other people • sense of humour – pulling together with the team • drive – work hard and play hard

7. Employer 3 • innovative people looking for a new career challenge • responsive, agile thinkers who can adapt to meet challenging customer needs • talent, pure and simple

8. Employer 4 • confidence in ability • positive self esteem • prepared to “have a go” • perseverance • curiosity, challenge and optimism • self-discipline • ability to work independently and in a team • determination to succeed

9. “Employability skills are the skills that almost everyone needs to do almost any job” Thinking and solving problems Working together and communicating Understanding the business Self-management Using language effectively Using numbers effectively Using IT effectively Positive approach UK CESThe Employability Challenge

10. Your employability strategy • what are you trying to achieve? • how will you organise learning? • how will you know when you’ve got there? Disciplined curriculum innovation – making a difference to learners, QCA 2008

11. What are we trying to achieve? Skills Attitudes Knowledge Experiences

12. Strategy – setting out your aims for students • work in groups of 2-3 • use the Strategic Planning sheet • agree as a pair the attitudes, skills, knowledge and experiences students should have in relation to their employability • whole group feedback

13. How will you organise learning? Once you are clear about your aims, how will you ensure you can achieve them? • where in the curriculum do students develop employability skills? • what approaches to learning will you need? • how will you build in assessment?

14. Employability skills activity • working in pairs, set out the 22 employability skills • agree as a pair the top 9 that you would like your students to have • organise them into a ‘diamond 9’ • whole group feedback

15. Identifying my employability skills Situation Task Action Result

16. Delivery models – key lessons • a mixed model is most effective • integrated into all lessons • some discrete lessons (eg. PSHEe) • reflection in tutorial time • enrichment activities for impact • structure and plan the programme against learning outcomes • incorporate ‘compelling’ learning approaches • make use of experts including external partners • plan assessment from beginning and monitor outcomes and impact

17. Who will you work with? • careers advisers • universities • FE colleges • employers • training providers

18. Some currently funded programmes

19. How will you know you’ve got there? • attitude questionnaires (young people, staff, parents,other partners) • young people’s focus group/discussion • destination data • attainment data • employers’ views of young people’s employability • observation during activities/lessons • assessing students’ work • previous Ofstedjudgements

20. For further details please contact Sue Barr sue@suebarr.co.uk www.educationforemployability.co.uk