Using Xello to track your progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks

• Careers programme student survey*

• Careers programme student survey*

• Careers programme student survey*

• Careers programme student survey*

• Careers programme student survey*

• Interests

• Discover learning pathways

• Skills
• Explore career matches
• Family Portal*
  
• Career interview reflection*

• Personality Styles
• Learning from career and LMI*
• Family Portal*
• Career interview reflection*

• Work Values
• Workplace skills and attitudes
• Careers demand
• Learning from career & LMI*
• Family Portal*

• Work/life balance
• Family Portal*
• Career interview reflection*

• Career backup plans
• Career path choices

• Family Portal*

• Biases and career choices
• Explore learning styles

• Raising aspirations*
• Goals & plans*
• Career guidance interview action plan*

• Raising aspirations*
• Career guidance interview action plan*

• Addressing the needs of each pupil*
• Raising aspirations*
• Career guidance interview action plan*
• Year 11 school leaver survey*

• Raising aspirations*
• Career guidance interview action plan*

• Defining success
• Raising aspirations*
• Career guidance interview action plan*
• Year 13 school leaver survey*

• School subjects at work
• STEM careers*

• STEM careers*

• STEM careers*

• Linking the curriculum to careers: mathematics*
• Linking the curriculum to careers: English language*

• Work-related learning*
• Encounters with employers and employees*

• Work-related learning*
• Encounters with employers and employees*

• Work-related learning*
• Encounters with employers and employees*

• Work-related learning*
• Encounters with employers and employees*

• Work-related learning*
• Encounters with employers and employees*

• Getting experience
• Year 10 work experience reflection*

• Year 12 work experience reflection*

• Transition to further education
• Reflecting on encounters with FE teams and apprenticeship employers*

• Choosing a university
• Reflecting on university open day visits*

• Reflecting on university open day visits*

• Year 10/11 career guidance interview*

• Year 10/11 career guidance interview*

• Year 12/13 career guidance interview*

• Year 12/13 career guidance interview*
• Post Year 13 options: your next steps*

9, 10, 11, 12, 13

• Save at least 3 courses and apprenticeships
• Save at least 3 careers

• Every school and college should have a stable, structured careers programme that has the explicit backing of the senior management team.
• The programme should be regularly evaluated with feedback from pupils, parents, teachers, and employers.

Please answer the following questions about your school or college’s careers programme:

1. Do you know who you should contact for careers support at your school or college?

2. Do you know how to contact someone regarding careers support at your school or college?

3. Over the past year, have you spoken with a careers adviser at your school or college?

4. Over the past year, have you researched different careers during a lesson?

5. Over the past year, have you researched how different subjects can lead to different career paths?

6. Over the past year, have you researched the different options available to you when you finish school or college?

7. Over the past year, have you looked at any careers websites, blogs, or other resources whilst at school or college?

8. Over the past year, have you researched different job opportunities, both locally and nationally?

9. How much do you agree with this statement:
   
   My school or college careers programme helps me to make the right choices.

10. List 5 things you have learnt about your future career options.

11. How could the careers programme at your school or college be improved?

Click Turn in when complete.

9, 10, 11, 12, 13

• Save at least 3 courses and apprenticeships
• Save at least 3 careers

• Every school and college should have a stable, structured careers programme that has the explicit backing of the senior management team.
• The programme should be regularly evaluated with feedback from pupils, parents, teachers, and employers.

Labour market information (LMI) helps people to research future career opportunities. It provides us with important facts and figures about different job roles.

1. Labour market information (LMI) can tell us how many people work in a certain job today. It also predicts how many people will be working in that role in 1 to 5 years’ time. For example:
   • There are 167,032 builders’ merchants working in the UK today. This figure is expected to rise by 1.3% over the next year.
   • There are 48,429 finance officers in the UK today. This figure is expected to fall by 0.2% over the next year.

2. Take some time to think about why this data could be important. What are the differences between the builders’ merchant and the finance officer LMI data? What does this tell you about those roles? How might it affect any decisions you make about that job?

3. Numbers are important. However, we always need to question what they’re telling us. For example, data that covers the whole UK doesn’t always tell the full story for everyone, everywhere. Can you think of any other information that would help you make a career decision?

4. Think of a career that interests you. See if you can find any up-to-date LMI data for that career. Try and find out how many people are employed in that role. What is the average salary? Is that career expected to grow over the next few years?

5. Use Xello to explore the different entry routes into your chosen career. If you haven’t already, save the career.

6. Find information about careers that are expected to grow, become more popular, over the next 10 years.

7. Find information about careers that are expected to shrink, become less popular, over the next 10 years.

8. Why do you think these careers are expected to grow or shrink?

9. Looking at your list of careers expected to grow, what skills do you think will be needed in the future?

Click Turn In when complete.

9, 10, 11, 12, 13

• Save at least 3 courses and apprenticeships
• Save at least 3 careers

• Learning from career and labour market information.
  
• By the age of 14, all pupils should have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.
• Parents [and guardians] should be encouraged to access and use information about labour markets and future study options to inform their support to their children.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Why might you want to share your ideas and plans? Think about how sharing information can provide a range of benefits.

2. Can you think of a time when sharing information helped? Maybe you were struggling with homework, or wanted to understand something you had read online or watched on TV.

3. Begin thinking about how other people could give you advice when considering different career paths. What sort of help and extra information could you get, and what information would be most beneficial?

4. Take some time to think about the work you have done in Xello, such as the Matchmaker, Skills Lab, or Portfolios. Which activities have you completed?

5. Are you aware that you can share your Xello explorations with a parent or guardian?

6. What specific advice could a parent or guardian provide?

Did you know you can use Family Portal to share your Xello work with a parent or guardian?

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete a career guidance interview in Year 9

• By the age of 14, all pupils should have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.
• An informed adviser can help them make the best use of available information.

Now that you've had your career guidance interview, it’s important to spend time reflecting on what you’ve discovered. To begin, log in to Xello and head to About me. Add your career guidance interview to your Experiences timeline. Fill in all the details, including what you liked, learned, and found challenging.

Now answer the following questions:

Subject options:

1. Did you discuss your Year 10 and 11 options?

2. How will you decide which subjects to take next year? What factors will influence your choices?

3. Can you identify factors you shouldn’t use when deciding what to study next year? For example, if you like a particular teacher, is that a good reason to pick that subject?

4. Following your career guidance interview, have your option plans for Years 10 and 11 changed in any way? If so, how have they changed, and why? Maybe you’re interested in taking different subjects now? Or, perhaps you’ve changed your future career plans?

5. Following the interview, are you concerned about any subjects? If so, what are they, and why do they concern you?

Career paths:

1. Did you discuss different or new career options during the interview?

2. Did a particular career path stand out to you, and if so, why?

3. Think about 1 or 2 of the subjects you are considering choosing to study in Years 10 and 11. What possible career paths could these subjects lead to? Use Explore Careers in Xello to discover where different subjects can take you.

4. Have you discussed your career interview with your parents/guardians? If so, what were their thoughts?

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete a careers guidance interview in Year 10

• By the age of 14, all pupils should have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.
• An informed adviser can help them make the best use of available information.

Now that you've had your career guidance interview, it’s important to spend time reflecting on what you’ve learnt.

To begin, log in to Xello and head to About me. Add your career guidance interview to your Experiences timeline. Fill in all the details, including what you liked, learned, and found challenging.

Now answer the following questions:

1. What careers did you discuss during your interview? Did a particular career path stand out to you? If so, why did it appeal to you?

2. Were there any careers discussed that you hadn’t considered before? What were they?

3. Did the interview encourage you to research or explore any careers further? If so, how will you do that?

4. Have your career goals changed in any way over the last year? If so, how have they changed, and why?

5. Have you discussed the interview findings with your parents/guardians? If so, what were their thoughts?

6. If you haven’t discussed it with a parent or guardian, how do you think they could help?

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete a careers guidance interview in Year 11

• By the age of 14, all pupils should have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.
• An informed adviser can help them make the best use of available information.

To begin, log in to Xello and head to About me. Add your career guidance interview to your Experiences timeline. Fill in all the details, including what you liked, learned, and found challenging.

Now do the following:

1. Make a list of all your possible options for after Year 11.

2. Take a few minutes to reflect on each option. Regarding your future, what are the positive and negative aspects of each option?

3. Following your careers guidance interview, have your plans for after Year 11 changed in any way? If so, how have they changed, and why? Maybe you’re interested in taking different subjects now? Or, perhaps you’ve changed your future career plans?

4. Spend a few minutes reflecting on your future plans. What factors helped you decide? Do you have a specific career in mind? Or are you planning on staying in education?

You have now spent some time thinking about your options for after Year 11. You may even have decided on a particular goal. It’s now time to think about what you can do to help you achieve your goals. Use online resources or any available literature at school to help you.

Choose one of your chosen options for next year. Think about what you need to achieve that goal. Take a look at the options below, and select the ones that are relevant to you:

1. Staying on at school:
   • What are the different types of courses you can choose from?
   • How will you decide which subjects to take next year?
   • What factors will influence your choice? If you have a particular career goal, or want to go to university, will certain subjects help you?
2. Applying to a new college
   • Are there any entry requirements for your chosen courses?
   • If you have chosen to go to college, is there an application deadline? Is there an online application?
   • What are the different types of courses you can choose from?
   • How will you decide which subjects to take next year? What factors will influence your choice?
   • If you have a particular career goal, or want to go to university, will certain subjects help you?
3. Combining work and study
   • If you have decided to combine work and study, what options are available to you?
   • If you have chosen to do a traineeship or apprenticeship, do you know where to search for vacancies?
   • Is there a particular area of work that interests you (for example, engineering, or hospitality)? Why are you interested in this area of work?
   • If you’ve decided to apply for a traineeship or apprenticeship, you’ll need to write an up-to-date CV. How will you go about creating your CV?

Can you think of any other options available to you after Year 11?

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete a careers interview in Year 12

• By the age of 14, all pupils should have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.
• An informed adviser can help them make the best use of available information.

Now that you've had your career guidance interview, it’s important to spend time reflecting on what you’ve learnt.

To begin, log in to Xello and head to About me. Add your career guidance interview to your Experiences timeline. Fill in all the details, including what you liked, learned, and found challenging.

Now answer the following questions:

1. What careers did you discuss during your interview?

2. Did a particular career path stand out to you? If so, why did it appeal to you?

3. Were there any careers discussed that you hadn’t considered before? What were they?

4. Did the interview encourage you to research or explore any careers further? If so, how will you do that?

5. Have your career goals changed in any way over the last year? If so, how have they changed, and why?

6. Have you discussed the interview findings with your parents/guardians? If so, what were their thoughts?

7. If you haven’t discussed it with a parent or guardian, how do you think they could help?

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete a careers guidance interview in Year 13

• By the age of 14, all pupils should have accessed and used information about career paths and the labour market to inform their own decisions on study options.
• An informed adviser can help them make the best use of available information.

To begin, log in to Xello and head to About me. Add your career guidance interview to your Experiences timeline. Fill in all the details, including what you liked, learned, and found challenging.

Now do the following:

1. Make a list of all your possible options for after Year 13.

2. Take a few minutes to reflect on each option. Regarding your future, what are the positive and negative aspects of each option?

3. Following your careers guidance interview, have your plans for after Year 13 changed in any way? If so, how have they changed, and why? Maybe you’re interested in taking different subjects now? Or, perhaps you’ve changed your future career plans?

4. Spend a few minutes reflecting on your future plans. What factors helped you decide? Do you have a specific career in mind? Or are you planning on staying in education?

5. It’s a good idea to share your future career or study plans with someone else. This could be a parent or guardian, friend, or teacher.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Save at least 3 careers
• Complete Xello Skills Lab

• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.

The career guidance you receive should be right for you and your personal goals and plans. To make the most of the guidance you receive, regarding future planning, it’s important to spend time reflecting on your own needs. This includes thinking about what’s important to you, and weighing up your strengths and weaknesses.

1. Work values.

   A work value is something that’s important to you in a career. This could include money, work/life balance, helping people, or creativity.

   • Write down 10 things ‌that are important to you in a career.
   • Rearrange this list so that it is in order of importance - put the most important at number 1.

2. Skills.

   All of us have things we’re good at, and other things ‌we’re not so good at. That’s perfectly natural - we can’t all be good at everything! When it comes to thinking about a future career, it’s important to know where your strengths lie. Spend a few minutes thinking about your own skills. What are you good at and what do you need to improve? This could be something at school, at home, or in other areas of your life.

   Sign in to Xello and head to About me. Go to Skills. Identify 5 skills that you think you are good at. Add these skills to My skills, and give them 3 stars.

   Next, identify 5 skills that you’d like to work on, to improve. Add these skills to My skills and give them either 1 or no stars. You can now see that these are skills you think you may need in the future, but need to work on.

3. Success: What does success look like for you?
   • Write down 5 things ‌you think demonstrate success in a career.
   • Rearrange this list so that it’s in order of importance - put the most important at number 1.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Save at least 3 careers

• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• A school’s careers programme should actively seek to challenge stereotypical thinking and raise aspirations.

Please complete the following tasks:

1. Preconceived ideas

   Take some time to think about the 4 careers listed below. Log in to Xello and read the Job descriptions for these careers. Then, describe the sort of person who you think is likely to do that job. You might want to think about their age, their background, or maybe their education level. Just put what first enters your head.

   • Print journalist
   • Software developer
   • Dental nurse
   • Civil engineer

   Now take a look at your answers. How do you think you came to these conclusions? Have you, for example, seen people doing these jobs on TV, in films, or online?

   Maybe you know someone who performs one of these roles? Take some time to think about where you might get preconceived ideas about different jobs. Think about your day-to-day activities at home or at school. Also, think about the world around you, and how you receive information, opinions, and biases. Where do you get your information about the world from?

2. Entry routes

   Now let's think more about the 4 careers listed above. What do you think are the entry requirements for each role? Which of these careers requires you ‌to have a university degree? All of them?

   Take a look at the Sample career paths and Education & training section. Write down the different routes for each career.

   The truth is that none of these careers require that you have a university degree. That’s just one way into the role. But, there are other routes.

   Are you surprised by this? Or is it what you expected to see? Other options include college courses and apprenticeships. These options open up many new career paths.

3. College or sixth form options

   Take a look at a post-16 college close to you. Find the profile in Xello Explore colleges & universities. If it isn’t there, find the college's website. Look at the different courses it offers. Find a course which interests you.

   Now head to Xello Explore careers. Filter a career search by the course or subjects you’re interested in. Are there any surprising results? Which careers interest you the most? Save the careers and view them in About me.

4. Apprenticeships

   Go to Explore courses & apprenticeships. Select the Apprenticeships filter, and make sure College courses and University courses are unselected. Take a look at the results. You can filter your results further by adding a keyword, such as “dental” or “software”, for example.

   Take a look at the different apprenticeships available. Explore the apprenticeship profile further. If you like it, click on Save and add it to About me.

   Apprenticeships are an exciting way to get into a career that interests you. They offer you the chance to learn on the job, and gain a qualification, too. They are an exciting alternative route to university.

5. Skills

   Take a look at the dental nurse career profile once again. Make a list of the skills you need for this job.

   Now take a look at the experiences and activities below. Which of these (if any) would employers find valuable, and could help you become a dental nurse?

   • Babysitting or caring for a friend or relative
   • Working in a local shop at the weekend
   • Volunteering in a local care home or hospital
   • Working in a local restaurant or pub
   • Doing crafts or building models
   • Joining an after-school science club
   • Proofreading a friend’s essay or project work

   The answer is…

   ALL of them!

   The role of a dental nurse requires many different skills. The activities and experiences above can help you develop a range of skills you need to become a dental nurse, including:

   • Customer service skills
   • Empathy and compassion
   • Attention to detail
   • Scientific knowledge and understanding
   • Organisational skills

   You may have many more skills than you think! Can you match each skill listed above with an experience or activity? For example, joining a school science club.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Save at least 3 courses or apprenticeships
• Save at least 3 careers

• Schools should keep systematic records of the individual advice given to each pupil, and subsequent agreed decisions. All pupils should have access to these records to support their career development.

Please answer the following questions and complete the activities:

1. When you’re creating a goal for yourself, what can you do to help ensure that you’re successful? Take a few minutes to discuss as a class.

2. Think about the importance of writing goals down, checking in frequently, and sharing goals with a friend or family member. Take some time to think about your future options and plans. Now set yourself a goal which will help you to meet your future plans. It could be a plan to find a part-time job, or to take an online course, for example.

3. Lets now create a goal in Xello. Log in to Xello and go to Plans. Select Add goal.

4. There are lots of choices available under Choose a category. Consider 2 or 3 categories and click Not sure? Learn about these options to see more information about each category. Think about and decide which category your goal belongs to.

5. Take some time to consider whether this is a short- or long-term goal. Then select your timeframe and click Next.

6. Now you can create a to-do list and add tasks to it. You can add or remove tasks, or go back and change the category of your goals. Click Need suggestions? to show some examples of suggested to-do tasks. Add a note or links to your goals.

7. Finally, as you work towards your goal, you can check off tasks on your to-do lists, mark your goals as complete when you’ve accomplished them. You can also reflect on your goals, and add more goals.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Completed a career guidance interview

• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• Schools should keep systematic records of the individual advice given to each pupil, and subsequent agreed decisions. All pupils should have access to these records to support their career development.

Now that you’ve had your career guidance interview, it’s time to think about what was discussed and any action points that have been agreed.

After your interview, you should have received an action plan. This plan summarises what was discussed and maps out your next steps. It should focus on the goals you talked about with your adviser during the interview. You can refer to this action plan when planning any future career activities, or when talking about your future career plans with others.

To help get the most out of your action plan, use Xello Portfolios to create a Career Action Plan Portfolio, You can combine the goals and plans that came from your career guidance interview with your Xello activities.

If you’re unsure about the Portfolios feature, take a look at this short video, Showcase your work with Portfolios (https://youtu.be/gMdJcpKdQW4), and learn how you can use Xello Portfolios to create an organised digital collection of work

1. Head to Xello Portfolios, located on your dashboard. You are now ready to create an Action Plan portfolio!
2. Take a look at our Sample Portfolios section. The 3 sample portfolios under Highlight your career skills can inspire you.
3. Return to the Portfolios page and click Add Portfolio, then follow the first 2 steps: adding a title and description. Then click Create Portfolio.

You are now ready to go!

About me

A good place to begin your Action Plan Portfolio is with yourself. Add your first portfolio section, and give it the title ‘About me’.

You can now add the activities you have been doing in Xello. Think about what you want to include here. Did you talk about any of your Xello work in the interview? Add any activities you think are important for your action plan.

For example, you may have identified a number of skills you have, or skills you would like to develop. Or maybe you could add your saved careers and the courses and apprenticeships you’re interested in.

If you’ve added a Plan in Xello, you can add it here, too.

You can also add external media. For example, you might want to include your CV here, or a helpful video.

Now you have a clear record of your work in Xello, and where you stand regarding your future career plans.

My options and opportunities

You can now create a new section, and call this ‘My options and opportunities’. In this section you can create a text entry. Here you will describe the various options and opportunities that were discussed at the career guidance interview. For example, you could describe different career paths and post-16 options.

Future plans

Finally, create another section and give it the title ‘Future plans’. Create another text entry. Here you can discuss the plans you agreed upon at your career guidance interview. For example, did you agree to attend any open days, or to research a particular career or subject?

Your Action Plan portfolio is now complete!

You can share your portfolio with your teachers. Use it when discussing your career plan over the coming year. You can also use it to check in on how your plans are progressing!

Click Turn in when complete.

• None

• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• Schools should collect and retain accurate data for each pupil on their education, training, or employment destinations for at least 3 years after they leave the school.

Please take a look at each of the following statements and say how much you agree or disagree with them.

At my school, I have had the opportunity to:

1. Explore my strengths and weaknesses.

2. Explore my future options using an online career tool, such as Xello.

3. Explore different post-16 career paths, such as apprenticeships and college.

4. Explore different qualifications, apprenticeships, and jobs that interest me.

5. Apply for courses or apprenticeships.

6. Learn how to prepare for a college or apprenticeship interview.

7. Take part in a work experience placement.

8. Do a one-to-one careers guidance interview.

9. Meet staff members from colleges I am interested in attending.

10. Talk to employers about careers I am interested in.

11. Explore extra-curricular activities that can help with my future plans (for example, volunteering, care work, free online courses).

12. Understand how the subjects I study relate to my future career plans.

13. Overall, my school has opened my eyes to new opportunities and helped me to set both realistic and aspirational goals for the future.

14. Finally, what are your plans for next year?

Click Turn in when complete.

• None

• Addressing the needs of each pupil
• Schools should collect and retain accurate data for each pupil on their education, training or employment destinations for at least 3 years after they leave the school.

Please take a look at each of the following statements and say how much you agree or disagree with them.

At my school, I have had the opportunity to:

1. Explore my strengths and weaknesses.

2. Explore my future options using an online career tool, such as Xello.

3. Explore different post-16 career paths, such as apprenticeships and college.

4. Explore different qualifications, apprenticeships, and jobs that interest me.

5. Learn how to prepare for a university, job, or apprenticeship interview.

6. Take part in a work experience placement.

7. Do a one-to-one careers guidance interview.

8. Meet staff members from universities I am interested in attending.

9. Talk to employers about careers I am interested in.

10. Explore extra-curricular activities that can help with my future plans (for example, volunteering, care work, free online courses).

11. Understand how the subjects I study relate to my future career plans.

12. Speak to former students and learn from their experiences.

13. Attend university open days in school time.

14. Overall, my school or college has opened my eyes to new opportunities and helped me to set both realistic and aspirational goals for the future.

15. Please tell us your plans after finishing Year 13. Circle the relevant option.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Save at least 3 careers

• Linking curriculum learning to careers

Career LMI

Labour market information (LMI) helps people to research future career opportunities. Over the next few years, some roles will grow and become more popular. Other roles will decrease - and some may even disappear altogether. LMI will give you the data you need to be able to make decisions about your future career choice. Is that career a good option for the future?

Other factors that could help you to decide on a future career include salary and working hours. Take a look at the questions below, and see if you can work out the answers.

1. If 350,000 people are employed as aerospace engineers, and this grows by 5% over the next 5 years, how many people will be employed in 2026? (5% = 17,500 Answer = 367,500)

2. Hotel receptionists typically earn between £14,000 and £26,000 a year. What is the ratio of the lower salary to the higher salary, in its simplest form? (Answer = 7 : 13)

3. A nurse works 40 hours a week. They spend 3 hours a week writing, and 6 hours working by themselves. Express the amount of time they spend writing and the amount of time they spend working by themselves as a percentage of their whole week.

4. A sales executive earns £475 per week as a basic salary. What do they earn in a year?

5. On top of their yearly salary, the sales executive earned a bonus of 7%. What is the total of the bonus, and their final annual income?

College/university enrolment data

There are many different factors which can help you to decide on which college or university to go to. One of these is data. Colleges and universities publish important data about their enrolment figures - the students who attend. Take a look at the enrolment data below, and have a go at answering the questions.

1. If 26,700 students go to Anglia Ruskin University, and 60% of them are female, how many males attend the university?

2. 25,500 students attend the University of Hertfordshire. 5,950 of these study part time. What is the number of part-time students expressed as a percentage of the total number of students at the university?

Click Turn in when complete.

• Save at least 3 careers

• Linking curriculum learning to careers

1. Choose one of the following career titles. Spend some time researching the career and finding out exactly what it involves. Then, in 2 or 3 paragraphs, try and summarise what an average day for someone working in the role would look like. Your summary should not be longer than 200 words.

   Choose from:

   • Engineer
   • Hotel Manager
   • Lawyer
   • Police Officer
   • Software Developer

2. Choose a career that you’re interested in. Spend some time thinking about why you’re interested in that career. Then research the different ways of getting into that career.

3. Prepare a short presentation (5 minutes maximum) on what you’ve learned.

   For example, you could cover the different qualifications available, training routes, and skills the role requires.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Save at least 3 careers

• By the age of 14, every pupil should have had the opportunity to learn how the different STEM subjects help people to gain entry to, and be more effective workers within, a wide range of careers.

You may have heard of STEM subjects? STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and maths.

Explore STEM subjects and where they can take you by completing the activities below:

1. When exploring your career options, STEM subjects are important. The skills you develop by studying these subjects can open up a number of different career paths.

   Take a moment to think about why STEM subjects are important. For example, consider the world around you and your day-to-day life. Think about your phone, cybersecurity, and transport, for example. How could knowledge of STEM subjects have helped people develop these things?

   Also, think about climate change and health care. How could STEM subjects help people find solutions to these challenges?

2. Now we’ll start linking STEM subjects and specific careers. Make a list of the careers you would expect these subjects to lead to:
   • Computing
   • Design & Technology
   • Maths
   • Science
3. Now, sign in to Xello, and head to Explore careers.
4. Use Xello to filter careers using STEM subjects:
   • Computing
   • Design & Technology
   • Maths
   • Science

5. Look at the results for each subject, one at a time. When you’ve done that, select all the STEM subjects.

6. As you work through the subject list, look closely at the careers that are matched to those subjects. Are there any surprises? STEM subjects can help you to get into a wide range of careers. Save any careers that interest you. You can view them in About Me.

7. Take a closer look at a few of the STEM-matched careers. Read the Job Description and Education and Training sections. Write down a few ways STEM subjects could help you with this career. What parts of the job role in particular are STEM subjects useful for? For example, a winemaker needs a good understanding of science to help them grow the grapes and understand the fermentation process.

8. The following set of skills are closely associated with STEM subjects:
   • Problem-solving
   • Creativity
   • Maths and science skills
   • Design skills
   • Team work skills

Transferable skills are skills which can be used across many different careers. STEM skills can also be used for many different subjects, not just the traditional STEM subjects.

• English
• Geography
• Graphic design
• Languages
• Music

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• Save at 3 careers

• Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment, and the skills that are valued in the workplace.

Please answer the following questions and complete the activities:

1. Why do you think it’s important for you to meet different employers before making important life decisions?

2. What are the different ways you can learn from an employer? Think about the different types of opportunities an employer might offer you.

If you have the Work-related Learning module, work through the following steps. If you don’t have the module, move straight on to Q9.

3. Sign in to Xello student account.

4. Click Opportunities.

5. Go to Explore opportunities.

   Here you can search for different work-related experiences. Click on the Filters button to search by a particular type of opportunity, such as career fair, or job shadow, or the ways you considered in Q2.

6. Click on any opportunities that interest you. You can now find out more about the opportunity. You can also view the profile of the company.

7. If you’re interested in the opportunity, click on the Request button. Someone at your school or college will now contact you to discuss the next steps.

8. You can view the opportunities you have applied for and completed, by going to My opportunities.

All students should answer these questions:

You can use Xello’s Experiences timeline to add any opportunities you have had to learn from employers.

9. Go to About me and scroll down to the Experiences timeline. Here you can add any employer encounters you have had.

10. Click on Add experience. You can now select the type of experience it was (work, voluntary, educational, or a life experience, such as a holiday)

11. You can track the hours and add information to the Experiences section of Xello. Indicate your job title (if it was a work experience position) and the company, as well as what you liked, found challenging, and learned from the opportunity.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Save at least 3 careers

• Encounters with employers and employees
• Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment, and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring, and enterprise schemes.

Please answer the following questions: 

1. What’s the difference between an employer and an employee? What is their relationship?

2. Employers can work in many different sectors. Can you research and explain the differences between the following employment sectors:
   • The public sector
   • The private sector
   • The third sector
   • Self-employed

3. If you were interested in working for a particular employer, what questions would you like to ask them?

4. What questions would you like to ask an employee who worked for that employer?

An employment contract is an agreement between an employer and an employee. It sets out how their relationship will work. It also describes the rights, employment conditions, responsibilities, and duties of both parties.

• Full-time and part-time contracts.
• Fixed-term contracts.
• Agency staff.
• Freelancers.
• Zero-hours contracts.

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• Complete a period of work experience in Year 10

• By the age of 16, every pupil should have had at least one experience of a workplace, in addition to any part-time jobs they may have.

Work experience is an amazing opportunity to learn about the world of work. After you’ve completed your work experience, ‌it’s important to spend time thinking about the experience. There are also a few important tasks you should do whilst the experience is still fresh in your mind:

1. Ask your employer for feedback on your work experience. What did the employers think went well, and maybe not so well?

2. Now is the time to update your CV with the relevant details about the work experience. Think about the things you learned. What new skills did you develop?

3. Find out if your employer would be willing to act as a referee on your CV. If they agree, add them. This could help future work-based applications.

After completing your work experience, you can use Xello’s Experiences timeline to record what you liked, what you found challenging, and what you learned.

To help you with this process, please answer the following questions:

1. What tasks did you perform while on work experience?

2. What did you learn?

3. What did you enjoy most?

4. Can you identify the challenges you had to face and overcome?

5. What transferable skills did you develop? These are skills that you can use in other job roles, or in other areas of your life, such as communication or teamwork skills.

6. If you set any targets before the work experience began, did you meet them?

7. Has the work experience changed any career plans you had?

8. Do you have any questions following on from your work experience?

Now head to the Xello Experiences timeline and add ‌your thoughts to the relevant sections.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete a period of work experience in Year 12

• By the age of 16, every pupil should have had at least one experience of a workplace, in addition to any part-time jobs they may have.

Work experience is an amazing opportunity to learn about the world of work. After you’ve completed your work experience, ‌it’s important to spend time thinking about the experience. There are also a few important tasks you should do whilst the experience is still fresh in your mind:

1. Ask your employer for feedback on your work experience. What did the employers think went well, and maybe not so well?

2. Now is the time to update your CV with the relevant details about the work experience. Think about the things you learned. What new skills did you develop?

3. Find out if your employer would be willing to act as a referee on your. CV. If they agree, add them. This could help future work-based applications.

After completing your work experience, you can use Xello’s Experiences timeline to record what you liked, what you found challenging, and what you learned.

To help you with this process, please answer the following questions:

1. What tasks did you perform while on work experience?

2. What did you learn?

3. What did you enjoy most?

4. Can you identify the challenges you had to face and overcome?

5. What transferable skills did you develop? These are skills that you can use in other job roles, or in other areas of your life, such as communication or teamwork skills.

6. If you set any targets before the work experience began, did you meet them?

7. Has the work experience changed any career plans you had?

8. Do you have any questions following on from your work experience?

Now head to the Xello Experiences timeline and add ‌your thoughts to the relevant sections.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Attended a college or university open day in Year 11
• Save at least 3 courses or apprenticeships

• Encounters with further education teams and apprenticeship employers
• All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities, and the workplace.

Deciding what to do after you’ve finished Year 11 can be tough. It’s important that you know all the options that are available to you - and there may be more than you think.

You recently attended an event where you explored your options for after Year 11. It’s important to spend some time reflecting on what you learnt at the event. This will help you to consider your options in the future.

1. Describe the event you attended; for example, a careers fair, open day, or school visit.

2. What were your expectations before the event?

3. Did the event live up to your expectations?

4. Make a list of things you learned from the event.

5. Have your plans changed in any way since the event? If so, how have they changed?

6. Do you feel that you're aware of all your post-16 options?

7. For each post-16 option you have identified in Q6, list that option's strengths and weaknesses. State how you feel about each option.

8. Would you like to attend more events related to further education or apprenticeships? If so, describe the sort of event you’d like to attend.

9. How could any future event like this one be improved?

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• Attended a university open day

• Encounters with higher education
• All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities, and the workplace.

Deciding what to do after you have finished Year 11 can be tough. It’s important that you know all the options that are available to you - and there may be more than you think.

You recently attended an event where you explored your options for after Year 13. It’s important to spend some time reflecting on what you learnt at the event. This will help you to consider your options in the future.

Here are some questions for you to consider about your open day experience:

The course:

1. How did you feel about your chosen course department?

2. Did the course sound interesting? Did anything about it excite or surprise you?

3. How do the course modules compare to what you’re currently studying at school (if you’re choosing a similar subject)?

4. How is the course assessed? Does this method of assessment suit you? For example, do you dislike exams, or prefer them to coursework?

The university:

1. What were your thoughts about the university accommodation on offer? Is it what you were hoping for or expecting?

2. Personal safety is important. Did you feel comfortable when walking around the campus?

3. What about the university’s overall vibe? Can you see yourself fitting into that environment?

4. Can you imagine studying there for at least 3 years?

5. Were the university staff friendly and approachable?

6. Were there any clubs or societies that interested you?

7. Is there a town, city, or other place of interest nearby?

Likes and dislikes

Take some time to think about what you liked and didn’t like. Make a list of pros and cons for the university and the course. This exercise will help you ‌compare universities and eventually make a decision.

And finally…

Sign in to Xello and add the open day(s) to your Experiences timeline.

Discuss your thoughts and options with friends, teachers, or advisers. Sharing ideas is a great way to receive helpful advice. It can also give you the confidence to make a decision.

And, keep in contact with the university. If you have any new questions, send them an email or give them a call. They will be happy to help. You might even be able to book another visit.

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete Year 10 or 11 careers guidance interview

• Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

Now that you've had your careers guidance interview, it’s important to spend time reflecting on what you’ve discovered.

1. Make a list of all your possible options for after Year 11.

2. Take a few minutes to reflect on each option. Regarding your future, what are the positive and negative aspects of each option?

3. Following your careers guidance interview, have your plans for after Year 11 changed in any way? If so, how have they changed, and why? Maybe you’re interested in taking different subjects now? Or, perhaps you’ve changed your future career plans?

4. Spend a few minutes reflecting on your future plans. What factors helped you decide? Do you have a specific career in mind? Or are you planning on staying in education?

You have now spent some time thinking about your options for after Year 11. You may even have decided on a particular goal. It’s now time to think about what you can do to help you achieve your goals. Use online resources or any available literature at school to help you.

Choose one of your preferred options for next year. Think about what you need to achieve that goal. Take a look at the options below, and select the ones that are relevant to you:

• What are the different types of courses you can choose from?
• How will you decide which subjects to take next year? What factors will influence your choice?
• If you have a particular career goal, or want to go to university, will certain subjects help you?

• Are there any entry requirements for your chosen courses?
• If you have chosen to go to college, is there an application deadline? Is there an online application?
• What are the different types of courses you can choose from?
• How will you decide which subjects to take next year? What factors will influence your choice?
• If you have a particular career goal, or want to go to university, will certain subjects help you?

• If you have decided to combine work and study, what options are available to you?
• If you have chosen to do a traineeship or apprenticeship, do you know where to search for vacancies?
• Is there a particular area of work that interests you (for example, engineering, or hospitality)? Why are you interested in this area of work?
• If you’ve decided to apply for a traineeship or apprenticeship, you’ll need to write an up-to-date CV. How will you go about creating your CV?

Can you think of any other options available to you after Year 11?

Click Turn in when complete.

• Complete Year 12 or 13 careers guidance interview

• This lesson will help you to meet the criteria set within Gatsby Benchmark 8, Personalised Guidance. Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a career adviser.
• The lesson is intended to follow on from the student’s Year 12/13 personal career guidance interview. The lesson will encourage them to explore different pathways and to identify and set realistic goals and plans.

Now that you've had your career guidance interview, it’s important to spend time reflecting on what you’ve discovered.

1. Make a list of all your possible options for after Year 13.

2. Take a few minutes to reflect on each option. Regarding your future, what are the positive and negative aspects of each option?

3. Following your careers guidance interview, have your plans for after Year 13 changed in any way? If so, how have they changed, and why?

4. Spend a few minutes reflecting on your future plans. What factors helped you decide? Do you have a specific career in mind? Or are you planning on staying in education?

5. It’s a good idea to share your future career or study plans with someone else. This could be a parent or guardian, friend, or teacher.

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• Save at least 3 courses or apprenticeships
• Save at least 3 careers

• Personalised guidance. Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser.
• The lesson is intended to follow on from the student’s Year 12/13 personal career guidance interview. The lesson will encourage them to explore different pathways and to identify and set realistic goals and plans.

You have now spent some time thinking about your options for after Year 13. You may even have decided on a particular goal.

It’s now time to think about what you can do to help you achieve your goals. Use online resources or any available literature in your school or college.

Choose one of your preferred options for next year. Think about what you need to achieve that goal. Take a look at the options below, and select the ones that are relevant to you:

• What different course options are there at university?
• What subject would you like to study?
• Think about factors that may affect how you choose a course. What is important to you? Career prospects? Interests?
• If you’ve decided on a course, are there any entry requirements?
• Have you had any thoughts as to where you would like to study? Take some time to think about your options.

• If you have decided to combine work and study, what options are available to you?
• If you have chosen to do an apprenticeship, do you know where to search for vacancies?
• Is there a particular area of work that interests you (for example, engineering, hospitality, or accountancy)?
• What is it that interests you in this area of work?
• If you’ve decided to apply for an apprenticeship, you’ll need to write an up-to-date CV. How will you go about creating your CV?

• Spend a few minutes thinking about why you have decided to apply for a job.
• Is there a particular area of work that interests you (for example, construction. education, or care work)?
• Why are you interested in this area of work?
• If you want to apply for a job, you’ll need to write an up-to-date CV. How will you go about creating your CV?

• Spend a few minutes thinking about why you think taking a year out could help you.
• What do you intend to do whilst taking a year out?
• Do you need to start planning or saving now?

Can you think of any other options available to you after Year 13?

Click Turn in when complete.