Dixons Unity Academy | Careers Education
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Dixons Unity Academy

Careers Education

The Dixons Unity Academy careers programme aims to provide all students with regular access to employers, further education providers, expert guidance and workplace experiences to support students in making informed and educated decisions about their next steps. The careers programme is an integral element of the Dixons Unity Academy curriculum and careers information is interleaved with subject specific content delivered through the curriculum.

Our commitment to careers provision extends beyond the legal minimum entitlement for students and is underpinned by the Gatsby framework with a commitment to meeting all eight benchmarks.

The intended outcomes of the careers programme include, but are not limited to:

  • Students will undertake various work related experiences
  • Students will reflect upon and refine their aspirations
  • Students will increase their knowledge of education, training and career opportunities
  • Students will develop a career plan to help them achieve their sentence and realise their potential

The careers long term plan can be found below, in addition to a link to ‘Start’: an online platform designed to support students and parents in transitioning to the next step of their career. If you require any support in accessing Start, or have any questions about the careers programme at Dixons Unity Academy, please contact Angela Downing, Associate Assistant Vice Principal.

What to do Careers

https://www.startprofile.com

Resources for students

Prospects - Careers information and guidance – use this to find out more about different careers and what qualifications you would need.

Future Goals – this website uses Labour Market information, as well as employers and employees from local businesses to give an insight to employment opportunities within different sectors, including how the subjects you study link with future career options.

Amazing Apprenticeships – Apprenticeships explained – what are you looking for?

National Apprenticeship Service - search for apprenticeship vacancies or register for alerts and to apply.

BBC Bitesize - where could your favourite subject take you?

NCS - a chance to embark on exhilarating challenges, make your mark and build skills for work and life.

National Careers Service - a range of flexible contact channels - phone, email, webchat and SMS - providing information, advice and guidance relating to decisions on learning, training and work.

UCAS - online HE application system, information and guidance.

Success at School - explore Careers, employers, jobs, courses and advice.

Careermag - a magazine connecting students and their parents with helpful information about careers and qualifications, employability skills and CV writing.

Courses Online - guides covering what a role entails, the required qualifications, potential earnings etc.

Resources for parents

Apprenticeship Service - October Parent Pack

Advice for Parents when helping Young People plan their future

Parents' Guide to Careers in Engineering

Student Finance - What Parents need to know

Higher Education Progression Partnership (HEPP) - resources for Student and Parents

Amazing Apprenticeships – Parents’ Pack

Resources for career and labour market Information

Future Goals – this website uses Labour Market information, as well as employers and employees from local businesses to give an insight to employment opportunities within different sectors in the Leeds City Region

iCould - Real stories to inspire your career

Nomis - official Labour Market Statistics

Office for National Statistics

Prospects - Careers information and guidance

Informed Choices - a Russell Group Guide to making decisions about post-16 education

What is an Apprenticeship?

Higher Apprenticeships - infographic

Degree Apprenticeships - infographic

Apprenticeships - infographic

Which? University - search by university, by predicted grades and by category or use the A-level explorer tool.

Higher Education access for disabled and disadvantaged students

Resources for staff

Careers Leader – Ms Smith

Ms Smith is the Careers Leader in the academy and is responsible for the planning and delivery of the careers programme across all year groups. Please contact Ms Smith by email at jesmith@dixonsua.com if you would like to get involved with facilitating or delivering any aspect of careers at Dixons Unity or have any questions regarding the Career Policy.

Senior Leader Responsible for Careers – Ms Clynes
Ms Clynes is the senior leader responsible for monitoring the planning and delivery of the careers programme at Dixons Unity. Please contact Ms Cylnes by email at sclynes@dixonsua.com if you have any queries about our careers programme.

Independent Careers Adviser – Natasha Lloyd
Natasha is an external Career Consultant who works for Skills House - part of Leeds City Council. Natasha initially explores students' current perceptions of future career and education choices alongside feedback from their grades and teachers: this is followed by an informative session of possible options and actions for students to undertake. Every student in Year 11 is entitled to an independent careers advice meeting. A summary of each interaction with Natasha is shared with the Year 11 student directly with key next steps for the student to undertake.

Useful Links

Future Goals – this website uses Labour Market information, as well as employers and employees from local businesses to give an insight to employment opportunities within different sectors, including how your subject links with a range of careers.

A Level Explorer - See where your A level choices will take you. Direct students here to support them to consider how they can use your subject in future career options.

Prospects - Careers information and guidance

BBC Bitesize - Where could your favourite subject take you?

Information for employers

We are always looking to invite employers from different sectors to come in and work with our young people. If you are interested in hearing more about the opportunities that you could get involved in, please get in touch with our Careers Lead: jesmith@dixonsua.com

Destinations

We are committed to supporting all of our students, not only during their time with us at Dixons Unity, but also in their Post-16 options and beyond. We are so fortunate that many of our previous students come back to Unity to share their experiences of their next steps and this is an invaluable message for our current students. If you are an alumni of Dixons Unity and would like to come back to share your story, please get in touch with Ms Smith by email at jesmith@dixonsua.com. We would love to hear from you and arrange for you to come back and speak to our current students.

Careers Education Review

The careers education programme at Dixons Unity is constantly under review and refinement. A formal, annual review takes place each August when we publish the Careers policy which sets out the intended careers programme for the academic year ahead.