Careers Ambassadors
Our team of sixteen Careers Ambassadors are instrumental in shaping our careers programme. The team has at least two representatives from each of the year groups (7 to 11).
The Careers Ambassadors attend a training session ran by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) and Nat West at the start of the academic year to help prepare them for their role. This is followed up by subsequent training sessions throughout the year including how to network, presentation skills and leadership.
The team meet on a monthly basis to plan, monitor and evaluate the Academy's careers programme. The team have a range of responsibilities. These include:
- providing feedback and gathering student voice on the existing careers activities.
- communicating information about careers activities to students and staff including writing website posts, updating careers notice boards, writing articles and taking photos.
- collaborating with their team on projects, which will improve or add to the existing careers activities. supporting with planning and organising various talks and events. ·attending monthly meetings.
- acting as a guide for employers and professionals who are visiting the Academy for the purpose of taking part in career talks and events.
- acting as mentors for new Careers Ambassadors.
Each curriculum area has a careers link whom the Careers Ambassadors support. Examples of this support include designing careers displays linking subjects to careers, hosting careers talks within their subject areas and signposting resources to support the delivery of careers within lessons.
The Careers Ambassadors have a key role with our weekly careers talks. The team plan when the talks will take place, which job roles and occupations will be represented in the programme and are responsible for greeting and looking after our guests during their visits.
Examples of our careers talks can be found on our latest news page:
Being a Careers Ambassador allows students to develop their essential skills. The quotes below from our current team give examples of the benefits of being a Careers Ambassador:
'I have really enjoyed being a Careers Ambassador. It has helped me to develop my communication skills and confidence especially when talking to people that I don't know.'
'My favourite part of being a Careers Ambassador has been able to help decide what type of people come into the school to take part in our careers talks. I have been able to find out so much about different jobs and the world of work.'
'Being part of a team is good fun. I get to work with people who are in different year groups and have made new friends through being a Careers Ambassador.'
'This programme has helped me to develop my leadership skills. I have taken responsibility for finding out what type of people students in my year group want to see represented in the careers programme and I have worked with the other Ambassadors and Mrs McDermott to make this happen for them. This has given me a real sense of achievement.'
'I took the initiative and decided that I would design some promotional materials for the plasmas to help advertise our careers talks to other students. I am very proud of the images that I made to help showcase the work we have been doing and to get more people attending our talks.'
'My proudest moment was when we gave the year group assemblies. I thought I would be nervous but I wasn't at all. I was confident as I had my team with me and I was able to explain what we do and as a result we got more people joining our team.'
'I have enjoyed showing people around the Academy. When we get visitors, we will take them around the Academy. I like doing this as I am very proud of my Academy and what we do.'
The Careers Ambassadors ensure that our careers programme meets the needs of our students by representing the views of the student body at monthly meetings. They are fantastic ambassadors for the Academy and ensure all of our guests experience a warm welcome and know how appreciative we are of them giving up their time to visit us.
The team are currently devising the next programme of careers talks and are planning a whole school careers fair.
If you would like to join the team, please speak to any of our Careers Ambassadors or Mrs McDermott, Careers Leader.
We are delighted to have been awarded the Gold Award from National Careers Week. This award recognises the fantastic work our Careers Ambassadors do in promoting careers education at CVEA.