Careers

Provider Access Statement

ACE is keen to work with local Employers, Colleges and Training Providers and form ongoing partnership working so that our students may gain a better understanding and appreciation of the range of opportunities available post 16, and the skills, qualities and qualifications that are being sought.

Students at ACE follow individual part time timetables and so in the first instance, please contact Simon Jump, Strategic Careers Lead ([email protected])

to discuss your needs, required student groups and to arrange the logistics.

We appreciate any employers, colleges or training providers reaching out to our student and will be flexible in facilitating access to our students and maximising the resulting opportunities.

Avenue Centre for Education Career Programme

A strong and effective careers advice and guidance program is essential in supporting our students in raising awareness of the breadth of post 16 options available, in understanding their own aspirations, interest and skill sets and in supporting them through the application, interview and transition process so that they can successfully sustain their post ACE destination.

We provide a universal offer to all our students via a broad and balanced curriculum supported by timetabled careers education sessions in KS4 and a rolling program of careers events, encounters and experiences being developed at KS3.

Access to a qualified Careers Advisor is open to all students and through our individualised approach, we seek to arrange relevant and meaningful interventions for all, at the appropriate time and manner.

Overall, the ACE Careers programme, whilst rapidly developing and expanding, would typically include the following, which students access as and when is appropriate to their own personal journey.

• Timetabled Personal Development and Careers sessions
• Developing inter-curriculum careers elements is subjects as diverse as Health & Social Care, Construction, PHSE, Art & Design, business and Science
• Vocational qualifications and careers related experiences offered via alternative provisions
• Work experience, work shadowing and work place encounters arranged for specific students / cohorts of students based around shared interests and aspirations.
• Access to a qualified Careers Advisor for one-to-one guidance sessions
• A rolling program of Employer, College and Training Provider encounters designed to raise awareness and aspirations of the choices available post 16.
• Strong links with the Careers Hub for Staff and student briefing sessions, up to date Labour Market Information and local / regional CEIAG opportunities
• Work alongside key partner organisations covering both post 16 options and work experience, including University Of Bedford shire, Barnfield and Central Beds Colleges, ZSL Whipsnade and the Job Centre Plus outreach teams
• Links, visits and joint working with the local sixth forms, colleges and training providers
• Visiting open days and taster sessions and Employers / Colleges, Training Providers coming into Ace to talk and work with our students

Key Stage 3

ACE works in support with our dual registered students and their home schools Careers provision, to offer a universal rolling program of Careers related encounters and engagements which seek to raise students’

awareness of the local and regional options, identify their own skills and strengths and match these to possible future careers pathways.

Typical events would include.

• Visits to local colleges and sixth forms
• External speakers from a range of post 16 providers
• Visits to or from local employers
• Soft skills workshops (team building, identifying strengths, awareness raising)
• Events (alongside schools) in support of options

Key Stage 4

At KS 4, the focus of the ACE CEIAG program is to support students in identifying, evaluating, applying and successfully transitioning to their post 16 destination of choice. For dual registered students, this will be in support of their home school as lead, for single centre registered students and those attending Alternative Provision, ACE will lead.

Each student works towards their own Careers Transition plan and so the support and input they receive will to a degree be bespoke to their needs, but the universal offer to all would typically include:

• Open days and taster sessions with Sixth Forms, College and Training Providers
• External speakers introducing the range of post 16 qualifications and training routes (inc Apprenticeships, T Levels, Independent Training Providers)
• One to one Careers guidance from an external, impartial qualified Advisor
• Support with the application, interview and assessment centre processes.
• Work experience / shadowing / visits to local employers
• Employer encounters (internal / external)
• Workshops provided via local training providers, employers and youth organisations

There will be a link here to our KS4 Careers Program hosted via our online system

The Careers Programme is subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation and is mapped to the Gatsby Benchmarks. The school monitors its progress mapped to the benchmarks through the Compass Tool, with external support form the Luton Careers Team and the Regional Careers Hub.

Destination Tracking Data, Parent and student voice feedback is part of the evaluation process and informs ongoing developmental work.

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