Futures and Careers
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Futures at MSJ
At MSJ we walk with you. At your pace. Supporting. Enabling. Encouraging.
Providing you with opportunities to develop your skills, confidence and interests without taking away your autonomy. We encourage you to be authentic, to dare to dream and challenge your fears in a manner that allows you to step into that uncomfortable zone where the magic happens.
What we don’t do is do the work for you. Make decisions for you. Organise everything for you. It’s in those moments where you’re doing something for the first time, unsure whether it will work out or not, that you develop. Your talents unfold. You blossom. And we can catch you IF you fall.
Skills for the future
“You have to value skills and not just degrees”- Rometty, Former Chairman, President and CEO, IBM
Our Futures Programme is ever-evolving, much like the world of work. We recognise that rather than talking about ‘careers’ (the end result) we’re engaging with pathways as there are many different routes available to access future opportunities and by understanding yourself, you’re better informed to choose the routes that will help you get to where you want to be.
Of course we know that the journey can take many twists and turns as new opportunities present themselves, which is why we incorporate career management skills into our programme. You can fall back on these at 16, 36 or 66, they truly are skills for life! Ever heard of a squiggly career? Recent data suggests that 55% of adults in the UK will have had three distinctly different careers by the time they are 50, demonstrating a shift away from specific job-related skills towards transferable skills and attitudes. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2023 identified the top 5 skills and attitudes of the future as:
1. Creative thinking
2. Analytical thinking
3. Technological Literacy
4. Curiosity and lifelong learning
5. Resilience, flexibility and agility
So we’re now in a world where skills will need to be updated every five years, bringing fresh opportunities to consider at every turn.
Cohort Destinations
YEAR 7 & 8
| Career terminology | Unifrog |
| What is a career? | Interests Profiling |
| What are skills? | Panjango Top Trumps |
INTRODUCING
- Year 7 – bespoke lessons delivered by the Head of Futures through the PSHEEC programme, encouraging pupils to be curious about their future pathways
- Year 8 – understanding individual interests, introduction to the Unifrog platform. Lessons delivered by the Head of Futures through the PSHEEC programme, utilising CDI spiral curriculum
- Year 7&8 – Employer visit (Emma Bridgewater 2024)
YEAR 9
| Unifrog | Pudding Club |
| What are my skills | Springpod |
| Decision making |
EXPLORING
- Lessons delivered by the Head of Futures through the PHSEEC programme, utilising CDI spiral curriculum
- Individual use of the Unifrog platform
- GCSE options evening
- GCSE subject choice talks from Heads of Subjects
- Optional attendance at Pudding Club
- Employer visit
YEAR 10
| Initiative | Pudding Club |
| Work Environment Quiz | Springpod |
| Unifrog | Vision Boards |
| Critical thinking skills |
EMERGING
- Lessons delivered by the Head of Futures through the PHSEEC programme, utilising CDI spiral curriculum
- Post-18 pathways
- Optional attendance at Pudding Club
- Employer visit
YEAR 11
| Unifrog | Pudding Club |
| Importance of work experience | Morrisby profiling |
| Springpod | CV writing |
EXPERIENCING
- Bespoke ‘skills experience session’ incorporating CV writing skills, making applications, mock interviews, Morrisby profiling
- Sixth Form experience day and subject option talks
- 1:1 guidance meetings with qualified guidance consellor
- Lessons delivered through PHSEEC programme by Head of Futures utilising
- CDI spiral curriculum
- Optional attendance at Pudding Club
- Employer visit
- Medicine Society
SIXTH FORM
| University & apprenticeship fairs | UCAS & International application support |
| Interview practice | Pudding Club |
| University choices | Springpod |
| Networking | Unifrog |
| Goal setting | MOOC |
| Personal branding | Sixth Form Diploma |
REFINING
- 1:1 guidance meetings with qualified guidance consellor
- Individual UCAS mentors and Form Tutors supporting University applications
- Personal statement support
- Oxbridge & subject mentoring programme
- Medicine Society
- Law Society
- Post-18 pathway options
- Year 12 mandatory attendance at Pudding Club
- Lessons delivered through PHSEEC programme by Head of Futures utilising CDI spiral curriculum
Gatsby Benchmarks
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation sets out eight benchmarks in key areas, providing guidance that schools should focus on to deliver world-class career guidance for young people.
At MSJ our Futures Programme is mapped against the eight benchmarks and the Career Development Institute Framework. The goal is to ensure every pupil leaves MSJ prepared to make informed decisions about their futures.
- A stable careers programme
- Learning from careers and labour market information
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
- Encounters with employers and employees
- Experiences of workplaces
- Encounters with further and higher education
- Personal guidance
More information can be found on the Gatsby Foundation website.
Bi-weekly careers talks offer a unique opportunity to delve into the ever-evolving world of professions. These informative sessions, accompanied by a delightful dessert, provide valuable insights from industry leaders who are often from our Old Girls network, helping to guide your future career aspirations.
Springpod is a free online platform where pupils can try out different careers and university subjects through interactive programs with real companies and universities. It helps them make more informed decisions about their future before they apply.
