Careers Hub Partners Work in Partnership to Deliver Inclusive Careers Experience

Nightingale Community Academy, a specialist SEND School in Wandsworth, recently held an interview skills session for some of its Year 10 pupils to explore and discuss their career options, post-16. Organised by Richard Pemberton, Careers Lead, and supported by Enterprise Adviser Elizabeth Smith and Wandsworth Enterprise Coordinator Rebecca Wyatt, the day focussed on supporting Year 11 students build their understanding of the interview process.

The day began with representatives from a local construction firm giving a careers talk before working on 1-1 interview skills with students who had expressed an interest in apprenticeships, and a future career, within the construction industry.

Subsequently, students expressed that they felt more confident with their interview skill ability and knowledge on how to apply for an apprenticeship in their chosen careers field. The firm gained further understanding in how best to support and champion SEND people into the workforce with confidence. The Central London Careers Hub are working with local employers to facilitate a shared aim of supporting students to better prepare for the application processes, in this case specifically for those who wanted additional support in identifying their skillset and applying this to a meaningful post-16 destination application.

Students first answered a series of questions and skills prompts to uncover what career or sector they might like to work in post-16 and then began identifying what steps and support is needed to get there. Initially, there were some students who struggled to see the value of their skillset and how to amplify their transferable skills. However, Students quickly gained confidence as they discussed their hobbies and achievements, linking their soft skills and academic successes to job specifications.

Rebecca Wyatt, Enterprise Coordinator for Wandsworth said,

By supporting SEND students with activities such as this, through strong, local industry partnerships, we aim to challenge any preconceptions of what they can achieve and offer information to support their steps into their chosen sector.

NCA and Central London Careers Hub continue to work closely to challenge stereotypes of SEND in the workplace, ensure students have access to quality careers information and become more aware of the multitude of sectors and roles available to them. The school continues to champion SEND careers by building links with employers, to ensure students have access to fair representation and raise student aspirations.

Next term we look forward to providing further, targeted support to the students identified; with specific information on their chosen pathways and continuing to build meaningful encounters with future employer opportunities for all the students of Nightingale Community Academy.