FutureSmart Careers visit Year 11

Over the last two weeks, every Year 11 pupil at Berkhamsted’s senior schools received a 40 minute one-to-one session with an adviser from FutureSmart Careers – a careers advice company who work with over a hundred schools to provide pupils with tailored guidance on their future choices.

‘It’s not so much about picking a career, it’s about gaining awareness of yourself and the opportunities available to you’, says Lorna Owen, Director and Co-Founder of FutureSmart Careers. Lorna and the team help pupils explore all their possibilities, understanding what’s important to them and where their skills are strongest in order to think about pathways that fit the individual.

Lorna explains how the key to figuring out a career path is to start thinking early. ‘If somebody comes to a decision late, they don’t have time to explore what’s out there. The more time you’ve got to play with ideas, the less likely you’ll be to panic-make decisions’. At our senior schools, this starts with helping Year 11s choose their A Level subjects. With the guidance of FutureSmart Careers’ Level 6 qualified advisers, pupils consider what subjects are required for their career paths of interest. This knowledge enables them to take ownership of their learning and, crucially, reflect on whether that path is the one they truly want to take.

A focus on early reflection is implemented throughout the careers provision here at Berkhamsted. Starting in Year 7, the Careers department collaborates with Personal Development classes to get pupils thinking about the future. In Year 8, pupils complete quizzes and watch videos provided by the platform Unifrog to inspire further thought. ‘Careers is not just the Careers department’, says Mrs S Azad, Head of Senior Careers, ‘we try to get everyone involved’.

From Year 9 onwards, Mrs Azad and the Careers team organise more targeted events, such as the highly successful STEM speed networking dinner and Women in Tech panel. ‘We’re hoping to revolve around different curriculum areas so we’re not only focusing on one thing’, Mrs Azad explains. ‘So we collaborate with different heads of departments, and everyone is really keen’. Pupils complete an aptitude exercise in Year 10 which identifies their strengths, and this information is made available to external advisers to help tailor their guidance.

On top of these whole school provisions, Mrs Azad offers one-to-one meetings for any pupil who wants to discuss their options. This individual approach ensures every pupil is supported in making well-informed choices, from GCSE and A Level subjects to university and apprenticeship applications.

‘Berkhamsted has supported me really well’, says Jemima, a Year 11 aspiring architect. ‘I’ve spoken to lots of different people going through school because I’ve wanted to do architecture for a while. They’ve advised me on work experience and subject choices’. Jemima found her one-to-one session with FutureSmart Careers ‘really helpful’ because it laid out some options she had not considered before, such as apprenticeships.

‘Everyone here is always looking out for me’, Jemima says, ‘and asking me how architecture is going’. This unique focus on every individual’s career journey ensures pupils explore every possible option available to them. With the support of both internal and external careers advisers, we help pupils navigate a rapidly changing world of work.