VOCATION, VOCATION, VOCATION

CURRICULUM

SERIES AIMS

• To support careers education and guidance programmes for students aged 14-19, particularly in decision-making processes
• To stress the importance of career planning skills
• To stimulate discussion about the careers information that young people need
• To explore the importance of first-hand experiences in making career decisions.

See also individual programme aims.

CURRICULUM RELEVANCE

England

Careers Education and Guidance

This is statutory in key Stages 3 and 4 and recommended for Post 16 students. The National Framework for Careers Education and Guidance in England lists the three broad aims as:

• Self-development – understanding their own skills, abilities, personal qualities and interests and taking steps to extend these
• Career exploration – investigating the wide range of options open to them in work and learning
• Career management – using action-planning skills to make decisions about work and courses and improving their job/course application skills and personal presentation.

Personal Social Health and Economic Education (PSHE Education)

This is compulsory at Key Stages 3 and 4 and the key concepts of the Economic Wellbeing and Financial Capability Strand are:

• Career
• Capability
• Risk
• Economic Understanding.

Wales

Careers Education and Guidance and Work Related Education

CEG is mandatory from Years 9-13 and WRE is mandatory at Key Stage 4. Both subjects have been combined in a new Framework called 'Careers and the World of Work – a framework for 11-19 year olds'. Students are expected to learn:

• How to present themselves
• How to find out about work and learning
• Enterprise skills
• How to make decisions.

Northern Ireland

The Department for Education in Northern Ireland is currently producing a guide to careers education, information, advice and guidance for 4-19 year olds, to be titled 'Preparing for Success – A Guide to Developing Effective Decision Makers'. Career learning covers:

• Self-awareness and development
• Career exploration
• Career management.

Scotland

The document 'Career Education in Scotland: A National Framework' (Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2001) details what students should learn under the following aims:

• Awareness of self
• Awareness of opportunity
• Understanding career decision-making
• Understanding transitions.