Supporting National Careers Week was an obvious choice for Now Teach. We’re a charity that helps people with varied career backgrounds to train to teach, which impacts students and schools and raises awareness of careers.
National Careers Week is important as it highlights the quality and offer of careers education in schools across England, which is something that needs to improve.
According to the social mobility index, there are still vast social mobility cold spots where a student’s postcode can have a significant impact on their likelihood to progress in certain careers and industries.
Career-change teachers have valuable skills and experience that enhance young people’s career education.
"Now Teachers contextualise the curriculum, demonstrate how learning will be applied in the world of work, and contribute more widely to careers education and the aspiration of their students."
In a recent blog, Now Teacher Khasruz Zaman commented “I think I can be most useful through the informal chats in the corridors – and by giving time to the students who regularly pop in to see me at lunchtimes or at the end of the school day.”
Having a Now Teacher permanently in school allows for this incidental impact that is much less likely to occur when speakers visit for a one-off session. The relationships built over time make students more likely to ask questions, have open conversations, and seek support.
Outside of the everyday impact, we asked Now Teachers to share their plans for National Careers Week so we could understand the ways they’re having an active impact.
We found out that some were presenting careers-focused assemblies to large groups of students (often hundreds), and others were hosting 1-1 drop-in clinics where pupils could get assistance with applications or more general careers advice.
Most Now Teachers delivered careers activities in their own school, however, some of our longtime Now Teachers traveled to neighbouring schools to help impact and influence the wider community.
Towards the end of National Careers Week, we received emails from Now Teachers who had already been approached in school to deliver further content or repeat sessions for other year groups.
"Having a week dedicated to careers education is a good opportunity for career-change teachers to highlight their skillset and make their school aware of their additional value."
Career-change teachers are still a minority and sometimes efforts to ensure they are fully utilised in school need to be deliberate. National Careers Week provides the perfect opportunity to do this.
Whilst many of our Now Teachers come from backgrounds in Law, Finance, and Engineering, the specific industry isn’t always the most relevant factor.
It’s true that Now Teacher connections might help open doors in these industries however, the delivery of soft skills required to be successful in any profession is the real value.
"National Careers Week gave Now Teachers another opportunity to use their experience in school and most importantly that impact will continue in corridors, classrooms and lunch queues throughout the year."
So, if you're interested in using your experience to benefit young people's education - speak to us. We're here to help, as much or as little as you need.
Keen to read more about how our career-change teachers are using their experience in schools?
Explore the blogs linked below or attend our next webinar.
