National Careers Week (4 – 9th March 2024 ) is a great time to make the most of free teaching resources to embed careers education. We’ve rounded up some favourites.
1. Sign your students up to the Young Professional Programme
The cost-free Young Professional Programme offers your students a suite of resources, online courses, activities and toolkits to help them build their skills and careers confidence.
After registering as a Young Professional, your students can access:
- Weekly careers tips and opportunities when they opt into the newsletter
- Online courses with certificate on completion
- CV Builder and connection to our Youth Friendly Employer network
Contact us at info@youthemployment.org.uk to find out about becoming a Young Professional Provider so you can add cohorts of students and track their progress using the Group Management system.
You can choose from two free online courses to help their students feel career-ready and prepared for the world of work.
- Prepare For Your Future (ages 14-16)
- Journey To Work (ages 17+)
These free online courses will help students explore their personal strengths, what they need to get ahead, and what they want to do in the future. They are designed to help students feel more confident about exploring their options and next steps. Students need to sign up as a Young Professional to participate. Signing up to the Young Professional programme is free, and enables students to enrol in our online courses and also get weekly tips, insights and early career opportunities if they opt into the newsletter. Students get a certificate for their CV when they complete each course.
2. Young Professional FREE Online Courses: Understanding Apprenticeships
Explore Apprenticeships course (for students)
Are your students equipped with the knowledge of what an apprenticeship entails and how they can approach one with career confidence? Our Explore Apprenticeships course has been created in partnership with the Careers & Enterprise Company to help students find out more.
Contents:
- Apprenticeships and how they work
- Useful plans and guides to help you navigate your next steps
- The skills you need and which you’ll develop
- Where to start with looking for an apprenticeship and how to find one near you
- Long term apprenticeship goals and career planning
In Apprenticeships course (for current apprentices)
Created in partnership with the Careers & Enterprise Company, this course has been designed to support current apprentices in growing their skills and confidence during training. It can also be a useful resources to share with older students who want a clearer picture of what might be expected of them in an apprenticeship, what it’s really like to do one, and how they might benefit from the experience.
3. Virtual Work Experience – Courses and Interactive Guides
Support your students with Virtual Work Experience programmes, with 3 to choose from:
Our general Virtual Work Experience programme aims to introduce your students to the world of work. They can watch a series of videos and complete activities in workbooks that can either be filled online or downloaded into print format – whatever’s easier for you and your students. The Virtual Work Experience workbooks contain questions, quizzes and activities to help students digest and think about what they have learnt from each video. Separate workbooks are available for both KS4 and KS5 students to ensure your learners are presented with activities that meet their level of careers awareness as they get closer to transitioning to the world of work.
4. Skills and Careers: Careers Activity Booklets
Match the skills and careers activity booklets to your students’ age ranges:
These free Skills and Careers Activities booklet are perfect for your students to work through at home, and for schools to share or use as part of their careers education activities. They are editable so students can use it exactly how they want to. The tips and activities in the booklets aim to boost students’ skills, knowledge and confidence – whatever stage of education they are at.
Booklet Contents for 14-17 year olds:
- Young Professional – free online training for young people aged 14+
- Choosing a career
- Understanding career options and pathways
- Boosting your skills
- Volunteering & work experience
- Employers & work
- Youth Voice Census
- Getting help
- Your Reflections
Booklet Contents for 17+ year olds:
- What are employers looking for?
- Developing your skills
- Developing your personal brand as a Young Professional
- Job hunting
- CVs, cover letters and online applications
- Preparing for interviews
- Dealing with rejection
- Accepting a job offer – what next?
5. Lesson Plans: Explore Career Guides With Your Students
- Use the free lesson plan resource to explore sectors, LMI and the range of roles in our Careers Guides.
- Use the free lesson plan resource to explore STEM Careers actively linking careers with curriculum subjects.
6. Use the Opportunity Finder
Findings from our national Youth Voice Census reveal that young people transitioning from education to the world of work worry that they cannot source good quality youth opportunities in their area. We have two resources to help young people find local opportunities:
The Opportunity Finder is filled with organisations who are committed to providing good quality early careers opportunities for young people, including apprenticeships, entry level roles, work experience, and events.
7. Careers Advice Support for Students
You can help your students find the advice and resources most directly linked to their current needs with our free resources:
- CV and cover letter advice
- Interview advice
- Advice on finding employment
Visit the young person’s hub to explore the information and advice available.
8. Register For Our Teachers’ Newsletter
Teachers and careers leaders can sign up to our newsletter for free resources to help them support their students with careers education. You can sign up via the form on our careers education hub.
Sign Up For Teachers Newsletter9. Free careers posters
These downloadable school posters cover everything from building key skills (like communication or teamwork) or exploring difference career sectors featuring myths, facts, routes in, job trends and snacky ‘did you know’ facts.
See all posters10. Skills And Careers Sweet Pong
Our Skills & Careers Sweet Pong is a fun activity for teachers and careers leaders to play with students and learners during careers events like National Careers Week. Learn about how to play and get your students engaged with their skills and possible career paths.
Wishing You A Happy National Careers Week
We hope you are finding ways (and precious time) to make the most of National Careers Week with your students. If you would like additional support or collaboration with Youth Employment UK in terms of embedding careers education in your school or college, please visit our teaching resources page and get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
