Careers Plan – Year 8 (2024-25)
YEAR 8 CAREERS AIM: to encourage students to explore their interests and motivations and focus on developing a broader understanding of the world of work.
RATIONALE: This year builds on the work in Year 7 and the focus is on their understanding of the workplace and their rights and responsibilities within it. We aim to further embed their understanding of how both careers and character education are linked, but also to help them understand that they will play an active role in a workplace.
Term 1
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Impact of technology on employment
In their fortnightly careers sessions, Year 8 students will learn about the impact of technology on different careers. They will focus on the automation of certain job roles and learn about the need to be agile in their future careers, along with the value of continuing professional development.
Continue reading → - Enrichment: Charities Project
Each term, one Year 8 class will learn about charities and work in groups to design their own charity including its social purpose and how it will raise awareness and funds. At the end of the project, a charity/voluntary organisation will visit, and talk to the class about their work and its purpose, as well as about their job and other roles within their charity. Term 1 is Hemsley Conservation Centre.
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Term 2
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Rights within the workplace
In their fortnightly careers sessions, Year 8 students gain a greater understanding of the world of work. They will be introduced to what is involved when calling in sick to work and how this might affect pay, or might need supporting documentation. They also look at disability rights in the workplace and are introduced to the concept of reasonable adjustments following the Equality Act 2010.
Continue reading → - .CAREERS SESSIONS: Veterans and careers
As part of remembrance week, Year 8 will consider the secondary careers that veterans often choose and why. They will look at different roles within the armed forces and how these choices can prepare a person for other career sectors and roles. This is an important part of helping our students to understand that their career is a journey and that different life events and priorities might mean they need to adapt and show creativity and resilience.
Continue reading → - COMPETITION: Maidstone United Kit Design
In Art, Year 7, 8 and 9 students are invited to take part in a kit design competition set by Maidstone United FC. It opens on 31st October and closes on 10th November. With the support of the Art department, students get experience of working to a brief in order to satisfy a client.
“We’re throwing down the challenge to see who can come up with the winning design for the next two seasons. Whether it’s an original idea or inspired by a shirt from yesteryear, your design must be true to the club colours of amber and black. You’ve got until Sunday 10 November to email your design, which must be in jpeg or PDF format. If you’re not expert in Photoshop (other design packages are available), you can download ‘My Macron Kit’ from your app store and create a shirt using the step by step guide. The winning designer will receive one of the first shirts off the production line, which will be signed by next season’s squad. Send in your design to info@maidstoneunited.co.uk by 6pm on Sunday 10 November.”
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Term 3
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: PSHE and Careers
In their fortnightly careers sessions this term, Year 8 will be focusing on activities that support the PSHE content that is being delivered. This includes examples of LGBTQ+ workplace diversity schemes and the Stonewall top-ranked employers.
Continue reading → - Launch Work Shadowing Day
Work Shadowing Day is in Term 6 and offers our students in Year 8, 9 and 10 the opportunity to accompany a family member to work for a day to gain an first-hand experience of a workplace. In this session, students are introduced or reminded about what the day involves and parents/carers are informed of this valuable opportunity for their child.
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Term 4
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Work/life balance
In their fortnightly careers sessions, Year 8 students explore the role that work/life balance has in our careers and how the wage or salary is not the only consideration to make when deciding on a career. We will also introduce the role that occupational health professionals make to supporting individuals in their access to work.
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Term 5
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Preparing for Decisions
In term 5, our focus is helping Year 8 students to understand the transition that will happen over the next year. We will look at the difference between vocational and academic routes, why we choose GCSEs and how they can best use Year 9 to prepare themselves to choose.
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Term 6
- .CAREERS SESSIONS: Entrepreneurship challenge
Year 8 students will undertake an entrepreneurship challenge across their fortnightly careers sessions, and have the opportunity to understand the different elements involved in being self-employed.
Continue reading → - Work Shadowing Day/Enterprise Challenge Day
