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Advice to parents and carers as to how to support their children with careers advice

As they make choices and plans for the future, young people need support from the people who know them best, their families. Arguably this support is even more important due to the disruption and uncertainties caused by Covid-19. There are many ways that parents can offer support with choices. Here are a few ideas on how you can help:

  • Talk to your child about careers and what they are interested in. Find out what they know already and encourage them to visit the school careers library / National Careers Service website to find out more.
  • Encourage your child to look back to the Job of the Week posts on their year group Google

Classroom and encourage them to answer the questions posted by the school’s Careers Coordinator to strengthen their understanding of a range of occupations.

  • If your child is in Year 9, read about the information available about the Year 9 Options Process. During Year 9, students will be asked to choose from a selection of GCSE subjects which they want to study in Year 10 and 11. Most students will have compulsory subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science, a humanity as well as a language), which they have to study along with a selection of options. All Year 9 students will receive a Careers Interview in Term 2 to discuss their options with a Careers Advisor either face-to-face or virtually.
  • Make an appointment to speak to the Careers Coordinator or a Careers Advisor at the next Parents Evening – Year 9, 11 and 13 only. They will be able to answer any questions you have about career plans.
  • Encourage your child to find out about what courses, jobs and training opportunities are available locally. Your local authority may provide information on local options on their website.
  • Complete a computer-based career choice questionnaire such as Icould – buzz quiz, the National Careers Service assessment or the GetMyFirstJob Career Profiler. Upon completion, ask to see the results and talk them through together.
  • Make the most of Next Steps Evenings. Your child may be considering Post-16 study at a different institution to their current school and it is important to explore all of the options.

Get involved with plans for Post-18 study. If your child is intending to enter higher education they need to plan ahead carefully. They need to think about:

  • what subject/s they want to study
  • which institutions offer relevant courses
  • whether the programme of study suits their needs
  • will their GCSE grades and expected results from A levels (or equivalent) meet the course’s entry requirements
  • whether there is a work placement as part of the course
  • whether they want to study close to home or move further afield; and whether the campus offers other facilities which are important to them e.g. sports facilities.

Encourage and support

It is important to support your child to reach their own decisions about their future. Providing Advice to parents and carers as to how to support their children with careers advice support and encouragement is immensely important and the more you know about the information, advice and guidance that is available and where it can be accessed the better. Don’t be afraid to contact the school if you have any questions.

However, it is important to include your child as, ultimately, it is their future. With the right information, advice and guidance young people can make informed decisions about their future and successfully negotiate the tricky transition to adult status.

If you need any more information about supporting your child in their career plans, please use the LAT support for parents and carers page  or email the school’s Career Coordinator shona.halls@sjwms.org.uk

Careers and Covid-19

Below is a list of websites that might be able to answer any career-related questions during these unprecedented times.