 If you child has been identified as having Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) helping your teen to get work experience or into full time work can sometimes feel like a bit of a challenge, but it needn’t be. We asked Katie Smith, Partnership and Innovation Manager of dyslexia recruitment specialists, Exceptional Individuals to share her thoughts on how to help your child.
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 NEW TOOLKIT FOR SAVVY PARENT TO MAX THEIR TEENAGERS’ CAREER PROSPECTS
We are delighted to announce today that we have launched a new online resource to enable parents to transform their own teenagers’ academic and vocational career prospects. The ‘INSPiRED Teenager’ programme is an eight-part video-based career coaching toolkit complete with a set of accompanying eBooks. Developed by Carolyn Parry, the CDI’s Career Coach of the Year, the self-paced kit equips parents with all the resources they need.  Today’s young people have a world of opportunities before them, which is great, but also daunting. With so many options, it can be difficult to make sense of them and choose the most fitting, so we asked Dr Brooke Storer-Church, Senior Policy Advisor, Subjects and Skills at HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council For England) for advice.
 A personal statement is a brief, eye catching statement that explains your reasons for applying while highlighting your key skills.
It should be the very first item at the top of your CV and should show that you know about the job you are applying for and why you would be good at it. You might find this approach useful in other situations too. For example, on an application form there might be a section called ‘Reasons for Applying’. Always think about how you might tweak your statement when applying for new jobs. It might seem a little daunting at first but with the help of some examples (see below) you will soon get the hang of it.  In the world of education making the step up from Year 9 to Year 10 is referred to as one of the key transition points. A fancy term which just indicates that something important is happening; so everyone (especially parents and carers) should pay attention!
Very few 13 or 14 year olds have more than a very fuzzy idea about what they would like to do by way of a job in later life. That is perfectly normal and not in any way a cause for concern. Pupils in Year 9 tend to be just at the beginning of the process of thinking about their futures. Nevertheless, the choice of courses or subjects they make in Year 9 can have an effect on decisions they are able to make later on.  In the previous article I talked about the perils of marketing hype in relation to career decisions. Much of the “information” that is put before young people is actually advertising in support of a particular post-school option.
This may not be that obvious on a superficial glance and it is important that our kids develop an awareness of the extent to which “careers information” is seeking to steer them towards a particular choice (staying on in the Sixth Form or applying to local FE colleges, for example) rather than setting out all the options in a fair and balanced way.  Some young people might not ask that question but their parents probably will!
What does “core subject” mean? This is one of those questions where it depends who you ask. The basic idea is that there are certain subjects that are so important that they are compulsory for all students. Officially, the core subjects are English, Maths and Science. In many schools the list will be broadened to include History, Geography and a language. Schools have the freedom to offer a range of optional subjects in addition to the three core ones as long as they stick to this basic rule:  With nearly half a million students starting an undergraduate degree each year, university can often seem the only option for a school leaver. However, rising tuition fees, expensive living costs and an increasingly saturated graduate market, it’s worth considering an alternative to the traditional degree route. This is where school leaver programmes and apprenticeships really come into their own. If you don’t want to go straight into a job, such schemes allow young people to combine qualifications with employment. This means that they can earn money whilst gaining valuable skills and experience, greatly improving their career prospects.
 Although qualifications are important in getting a job, employers also want to recruit young people who have employability skills such as communication skills, problem solving, creativity, honesty and integrity, being punctual, taking responsibility, team working, being self motivated and having a good work attitude.
Young people can improve their chances of impressing employers by being clear about the skills they have to offer. It’s up to you to confidently list and describe your skills during the various stages of the recruitment process.  Work Placements
The term ‘placement’ refers to any formal, structured work experience. These programmes will often let you to gain knowledge of various departments and focus on a specific project. Placements are quite common in the engineering and construction sectors. Doing one can help you get your foot in the door as many companies recruit from work experience placements. There are sometimes payments although you will need to discuss with your company beforehand whether you will be paid and if so how much. |
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