Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are becoming more and more common these days. Prestigious companies in many different fields and industries offer apprenticeships as well as other training schemes. Apprenticeships offer many advantages:

• Gives you hands-on experience
• Gain a salary
• There are opportunities to gain qualifications while you work - even a degree

Parents' Guide to Apprenticeships

National Apprenticeship Application website

Degree Apprenticeships

A degree apprenticeship allows you to study towards an undergraduate or master's degree while you work, getting invaluable industry experience and earning a salary.

Main advantages of degree apprenticeships:

• Tuition fees are entirely picked up by your employer
• Paid a salary on top which should cover your living costs
• You will graduate without any student-fee debt
• You will earn a living while you learn, and develop your skills

If you feel an apprenticeship career path is for you, click on this link below to find out more information: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/06/29/five-reasons-why-you-should-consider-an-apprenticeship/.

We deliver a structured Careers and IAG Activity Plan which is reviewed on an annual basis. The key activities scheduled currently are:

Year 7 (All Terms)

• Work aspiration including within PHSE
• Inspirational speakers
• Careers assemblies

Year 8 (February 2024)

• Work shadowing
• Inspirational speakers
• Careers assemblies

Year 9 (Summer Term)

• Enterprise Day
• Inspirational speakers
• Careers assemblies

Year 10 (July 2024)

• 1-week work experience
• Inspirational speakers
• Careers assemblies

Year 11 (Autumn & Spring Terms)

• Personal guidance interviews
• Inspirational speakers
• Careers assemblies

Year 12 (All Terms)

• Workplace visits
• Inspirational speakers

Year 13 (All Terms)

• University visits
• Inspirational speakers

Please see attached below, the March edition of the Careers Hub Newsletter, which features:

• Next Generation Hertfordshire Careers Conference resources and slides including Anna Morrison’s PAL presentation
• Key up-and-coming dates and events
• The annual EA Survey
• NHS work experience
• Making the most of HOP webinar
• Parents & Carers Apprenticeship Survey
• Live Apprenticeships
• Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) Virtual WEX week
• NHS Future Heroes event
• Sky opportunities
• Neon Futures STEM resources
• SEND resources

The following organisations support our Careers and IAG provision:

HCC Services for Young People

• Source our Year 10 Work experience placements, including site risk assessments.
• Provide qualified personnel advisers to deliver careers interviews with all students in Years 11, 12 &13.

Young Enterprise

• Deliver a range of enterprise activities for Key Stage 3 and 4 students.

University of Hertfordshire

• Provide direct interventions for targeted students in Year 10 to promote university / higher education as a post-school option.

Inspiring the Future

• Deliver a range of workshops around apprenticeships as a post-school option.

Hertfordshire Police

Further information about The Careers and Enterprise Company can be found here.

Further information about The Gatsby Benchmarks can be found here.

Further information about The Government’s Careers Strategy can be found here.

We are signed up to The Careers and Enterprise Company – The Enterprise Adviser Network – programme. This is a free provision managed locally by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to support us to achieve all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks – a target set by the Department for Education in their Careers Strategy (Dec 2017). We have been matched with The Careers Enterprise Company, to help us to work towards the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks. Meetings take place on a regular basis to discuss progress.

We are using the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (www.hopinto.co.uk) and would encourage all students, parents and carers and teachers to use this portal to seek current live job or apprenticeship vacancies within Hertfordshire as well as being a one-stop shop for a variety of information about the Hertfordshire Jobs Market providing information and inspiration about a variety of careers.

You can also follow HOP via their social media platforms as detailed below:

Job Shadowing (Year 8s) - Monday, 1st July 2024

Job shadowing is an important part of a student’s education. Last year, this event was a success, so we decided to repeat it this year.

As 12 & 13 year-olds, it may seem to be very young for them to take part and for us to organise job shadowing for the day. However, we at Westfield, feel that sowing the seed will start them thinking about their futures and what they would like to achieve. Providing students with this career opportunity is a sure road to success for all students. The experience will allow them to see first-hand what it’s like for their parents / carers to be at work every day. They will see their parents / carers interacting with their colleagues professionally and socially as well as simply having lunch with them.

Students will be given an opportunity to share their experiences with their peers and teachers during form time, when they come back to school.

If there are any concerns regarding this event, please contact Mrs Bernie Watt (email: bw@westfield.academy).

Please visit: https://www.westfield.herts.sch.uk/page/?title=Careers+Education&pid=28 for further information.

---

HS2 STEM Day Event on Tuesday, 2nd July 2024 for Year 8s

This is a fantastic workshop which will develop students' STEM powers, exploring the essential skills that are needed to be successful in a STEM career. Through a series of hands-on design and build team challenges, this will inspire students to become EPIC engineers.

---

Year 10 Work Experience - Monday, 1st July to Friday, 5th July 2024

Our whole Year 10 cohort will be out of school from Monday, 1st July to Friday, 5th July on their organised work experiences. During this period, there will be no classes - each day, all students will be at the workplaces of their host employers.

Place of work include:

• Align JV - engineering
• Marks & Spencer
• Pharmacy / Boots
• Local infant and primary schools
• Local nurseries
• Art studio
• ... and many more

The aim of work experience is for students to gain skills and to give them the chance to learn about what type of job they might enjoy in the future and to develop their CVs. Time management, creativity, emotional intelligence and responsibility are just a few of those all-important skills that will be developed during their time.

Work experience is probably one of the most transformational experiences young people have during their education. Students will be expected to take time to reflect on their experiences and update a daily log online. This will be discussed during their form time when they get back to school.

Any enquiries regarding work experience, please email:

• Will Pardoe, Head of Year 10 (wpa@westfield.academy)
• Bernie Watt, Careers Leads (bw@westfield.academy)

---

Sky Studios Event (Years 7 & 8) - 4th July 2024

Lauren Christ is the Talent Manager at Sky Studios in Elstree, Borehamwood. She will be speaking to Year 7 & 8 students about the exciting new apprenticeships and training schemes available at Sky Studios. Sky Studios Elstree is the UK's newest, state-of-the-art film and TV studio.

The studio will create thousands of jobs, becoming a training ground for the next generation of young talents and has been built with sustainability at the heart.

Please visit their website for further information: https://www.skystudioselstree.com/

Work experience placements assist our students in their transition from school to work. This provides our students with the opportunity and aim to:

• Relate school studies with a workplace.
• Give students an insight into the diversity of employees in the workplace.
• Prepare students for the demands and expectations of the working world.
• We currently engage with over 50 different employers through work shadowing placements in Years 10, 12 & 13.

We welcome further support from employers within a range of industries. If you would like to support any of the above events, or feel you may wish to offer other types of support, then please contact our Careers Lead, Mrs B Watt via email: bw@westfield.academy or tel: 01923 231560, ext 1908.

The SLT member responsible for Careers is: Mr C Chalk