Career Guidance

North Birmingham Academy aims to provide all students with the skills and knowledge that they need in order to make informed choices about their career progression, throughout their school life and beyond.

Throughout KS3 and 4 students are encouraged through their PSHE lessons and links with local businesses and employers, to consider the world of work and potential careers. All students have access to the newly developed careers area for independent use at break-times, lunchtimes and after school, in order to make use of the resources.

Across the key stages events are co-ordinated with an emphasis on Careers. In order to make informed decisions about their options, the Year 9 ‘Aspirations Day’ provides students with the opportunity to discuss training and employment pathways. The school always welcomes visits and speakers from companies, colleges and training providers, and this event utilises some of the links that we have established so far and are continuing to develop.

In the summer term of Year 10, students take part in the Work Experience Programme, designed to provide them with the opportunity to experience the world of work first hand and to experience a sphere of work that they may be currently be interested in. This programme is developed so that students will not only have an invaluable experience, but so that they will receive an employer reference for post 16 employment, training or college applications.

In the autumn term, all of our Year 11 students will have the opportunity to participate in a practice interview day. With the increasing competition for employment and training places, our aim is to ensure that our students are one step ahead of the rest by developing their application and interview techniques. This event has been coordinated in order to provide students with the experience of applying for a position and enables students to gain valuable interview experience with local employers and business people.

The Personal Advisers from Birmingham Connexions work with the students in Years 11 and 13, offering support and guidance in order to decide upon their further education, employment or training pathway. All students will be offered a careers interview in Year 11 to discuss their post 16 options. Throughout the year they will also be able to make use of careers drop in sessions for any queries that they may have, and also application and CV workshops which complement our Practice Interview Day.

Students are also able to access support via school staff, and from outside agencies in order to aid their decision making.