Careers

Our Lady’s Catholic College aspires to ensure that every student achieves their potential in full. The staff and governors recognise that an effective careers programme is vital to contributing to the raising of aspirations and enabling learners to make realistic and informed choices about their future employment and training options.

Careers Lead & Assistant Head Teacher – Juliet Duncan

Juliet is responsible for the strategic planning and implementation of the careers curriculum, ensuring all activities fit with the Gatsby Benchmarks for Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance. Contact: j.duncan@olcc.lancs.sch.uk

Careers Advisor & Work Experience Co-ordinator – Louise Mosey

Louise oversees the day to day running of the careers programme and provides 1:1 careers guidance interviews for all students in key stage 4 and 5. Contact: careers@olcc.lancs.sch.uk

Link Governor – Stuart Pyne

Enterprise Co-ordinator – Tina Milner, Inspira

Tina provides additional support with careers related activities and helps to create links with local employers and business to inspire students.

At OLCC we have an exciting careers programme designed to encourage students to reflect upon who they are and who they would like to become. In order to complete this journey, we provide a broad range of aspirational activities across all the year groups that support careers exploration and the development of skills. We provide an array of opportunities in varying careers and pathways to ensure every student can make an informed choice about their future, with targeted support from all staff in school and external providers. This is embedded in the curriculum through lessons, drop-down days, assemblies, careers presentations and workshops. We run National Careers week events every March with subject specific career delivery.

Year 7/8

Introduction to Careers & Skills

Careers lessons PSHE - Developing skills: teamwork, enterprise. Raising aspirations.
Pathway assemblies and visitors in school.
National Careers week, focus on careers in the curriculum.

Year 9

Future Pathways & Options

Year 9 students narrow their focus on future pathways as they decide on which subjects to choose for their GCSE options.

Careers lessons PSHE -Employment rights & responsibilities, Options, managing emotions, employment and career progression.
Assemblies on Options, making decisions & choosing subjects.
Parent’s Information Evening
National Careers week, focus on careers in the curriculum.
Industry Day – Employer/HE encounters

Year 10

Planning & Preparing

Year 10 Careers education involves being ‘future ready’. We start to plan post-16 routes and get ready for the world of further study and work.

Careers lessons PSHE Work Experience, Work Preparation
Subject focussed trips and visits linking with local employers
National Careers week, focus on careers in the curriculum, employer visits.
Work Experience Programme planned for Jan 2025

YEAR 11

Decisions & Applications

Building on lessons learned throughout their schooling, students are now required to explore their options and determine the best route forward for their individual strengths.

1:1 impartial careers guidance interview with Louise Mosey/Jane Wann, Careers Advisors.
Pathway assemblies – 6th form, college, apprenticeships

Careers lessons PSHE – Pathways, LMI, Online Brand, Growth Mindset (Future U)
EDF visit for pupils interested in STEM
Targeted pupil visits to colleges

SIXTH FORM

The exploration of careers continues in Year 12 & 13 with higher education, employment and apprenticeships being the focus of many talks, workshops and visits. Volunteering opportunities are also encouraged and Year 12 take part in a week of work experience.

Also see Sixth Form

GATSBY BENCHMARKS

LOCAL LABOUR MARKET INFORMATIOn

https://lancashire.startprofile.com/page/home-page

PROVIDER ACCESS

OLCC believes in giving FE, HE and training providers the opportunity to talk to pupils at the school. Our ‘Provider Access Policy’ is available below.

The school will assess the impact of its careers programme on students by completing student voice and a student survey via Compass+ and analysing destinations data in line with activities that they have taken part in at school. In addition, the views of students will be surveyed after Work Experience.

Useful Websites

Here's some useful websites to help inform career ideas and make those ideas happen!

https://www.unifrog.org/

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/

https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/

Information about university

Our Local Employers and Partners

We have developed a wide network of links with our local FE/HE providers and many other local employers (some examples include: Lancaster & Morecambe College, Myerscough College, ASK, Lancaster Training Services , EDF, Army Careers, Lancaster University, NHS) and their involvement in our Careers programme has been invaluable to our students with their post 16 and post 18 choices.

Future U is the outreach programme that we work with from the University of Central Lancashire, a government funded project which helps raise aspirations and supports students in their choices regarding further education. The programme holds the data for our students and the attachment below explains what and why.