Careers

At NIA we aim to ensure that all learners achieve their personal best. In careers education, this translates into every pupil making aspirational choices for their progression.

Through informed and personalised careers guidance we ensure that whatever pathway they choose (academic, vocational or apprenticeship) learners are equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding to prepare them for the world of work. The Careers programme includes independent advice and guidance in addition to an embedded curriculum programme matched to the Gatsby Benchmarks.

It is our goal to ensure that at 100% of children at NIA will meet the government expectation post 16 by selecting one of the education/training options available to them:

staying in full-time education
starting an apprenticeship or training programme
spending 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training

We do this through bespoke careers guidance, by brokering appropriate work or training placements, and in tracking destinations.

It is our goal to ensure that post 18 all young people gain access to education, employment or training that ensures their progression into higher education, training or the world of work.

All careers advice offered will be monitored by NIA's Senior Leadership Team and the Local Authority Board and the East Midlands Academy Trust at LAB meetings.

Careers Education Programme at NIA

At NIA, we believe our young people are capable of achieving anything they set their minds to. We strive to foster a passion for learning and nurture and raise pupils’ aspirations. We aim to enrich pupils’ learning experiences and ensure that all, from Reception to Year 13, benefit from the best possible information, guidance and experiences so they can progress successfully to further or higher education, vocational training, apprenticeships or employment.

Our Careers Education Programme begins when pupils join our school in Reception and continues to the quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) we provide to all pupils from Years 7-13, educating them about future opportunities and potential career paths based on their individual needs. We provide all pupils with a planned programme of learning and activities to help them choose the pathways that are right for them and enable them to enter successful careers, sustain employability and achieve personal and economic wellbeing throughout their lives.

Our careers education programme helps to ensure our pupils take pride in themselves and their futures, increase their resilience and become part of an aspirational generation of young adults in our local and wider communities. We encourage our pupils to recognise and embrace their own distinct set of talents, skills and knowledge to make informed career choices.

See more detail about NIA’s Careers Education Programme:

Help with Options

Having to choose which GCSEs and A-Levels to study can be a daunting task yet it is a really important decision.

Use this page to help consider what your choices can lead to. The links below can help match subjects to individual interests and career paths. They will also give you some insight about what to expect from different subject areas.

My World of Work lets you enter up to six subjects that you enjoy and identifies possible careers for you to consider. The National Careers Service has information relating to subjects you are good at and subjects you enjoy.

ICould has some very good career videos as does CareersBox which not only give information on the career but what to consider in terms of education.

Science Buddies is a fantastic website if you enjoy the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) providing lots of information on different careers linked to these subjects. Although it is an American site the information is just as valid and there is a section on health related careers too.

Apprenticeships and Training

Many companies and organisations offer apprenticeships of various levels. The term ‘earn as you learn’ reflects the nature of apprenticeships in that you will earn a wage as you are working for a business whilst learning as you go. At the end of your apprenticeship, be that 12 months, 18 months, 3 years (or more, depending on the level at which you are working) you will receive your qualification.

Many organisations also retain their apprentices so there is often a chance you will continue in your employment in the company you have trained with.

You may also want to consider a traineeship if you are not quite equipped to go onto an apprenticeship or straight into work. Traineeships are for those who might benefit from work experience placements which help them to prepare for getting a real job or starting an apprenticeship. A traineeship could last 6 months and will support you in getting level 2 Maths and English qualifications.

There are many websites that can provide you with information about apprenticeships and traineeships. Some of our recommendations include the government’s Get In Go Far, CareerPilot and notgoingtouni. These sites explain the various levels of apprenticeship, provide case studies and videos so you can get the perspectives of students that have gone on to undertake apprenticeships, and help and advice features. They also provide a search facility to enable you to look for apprenticeships in different sectors up and down the country.

Some facts and figures….

Apprenticeships are available in 1500 job roles, covering more than 170 industries, from advertising to youth work and from environmental engineering to legal.
Up to 28,000 apprenticeship vacancies are available online at any one time.
After finishing, the majority of apprentices (90%) will stay in employment, with seven in ten (71%) staying with the same employer.
A quarter of former apprentices had received a promotion (23%) within 12 months of finishing, and for intermediate and advance apprentices, three quarters reported taking on more responsibility in their job after completing their apprenticeship.

If you are interested in finding out more about apprenticeships we recommend visiting the dedicated are of the Gov.uk website.

Work Experience: Key Information

Introducing students to the world of work can help them understand the work environment, choose future careers, or prepare for employment. It can take the form of a short or longer placement with a placement provider (employer) where students will have the opportunity to observe and practice work tasks.

In Summer 2022, all Year 10 and Year 12 students will participate in Work Experience. For Year 10 students, a Careers Week beginning Monday 4th July will include interactions with employers in school. We are also asking parents and our local community to participate in a 'Take Your Child to Work Day' that will involve all Year 10 students spending a day experiencing the world of work with a parent/carer or other employer known to the family. Year 12 students are working with their tutorsand the Sixth Form team to secure one-week placements beginning Monday 11th July. Students are encouraged to focus on finding placements relating to their current courses and future ambitions.

Could you provide a work experience placement?
If you are interested in becoming a placement provider for an NIA student, either this year or in the future, please use the information provided in the booklets below to understand the role of a work placement employer. The Employer/Student agreement form may also be completed by employers to offer their services and add themselves to the bank of employers we use for Careers events and work experience. Please feel free to download and complete this form, then send to the NIA Careers Lead, Maria Edwards by emailing maria.edwards@nia.emat.uk.

We encourage our students to move onto their ‘Next Steps’ having developed the key employability and enterprise skills which are highly valued in the world of work. By working in collaboration with local employers, SEMLEP, universities and colleges to receive excellent current advice and guidance, our aim is for every child to fulfil their potential and be inspired to achieve a successful future, making well informed, aspirational decisions. Using the Gastby benchmarks as the foundation of the CEIAG programme, every student will benefit from opportunities, for 1:1 and group guidance from a range of industry professionals.During their time at NIA students will research a range of careers choices, explore local and national labour market information and consider all post 16 and 18 options.

Careers sessions are delivered through PSHE and Enrichment lessons and are assessed in relation to the Gatsby benchmarks using Compass+. Students also have the opportunity to voice their feedback on careers provision in whole school surveys, as well as undertaking an annual Careers Reflection task during tutor time in the summer. Student Voice feeds into the annual careers audit, which assesses careers mapping across the curriculum. All information published on careers education at Northampton International Academy is reviewed on an annual basis in each summer term.

All students and parents/carers can address any careers advice queries to our Careers Lead Maria Edwards at maria.edwards@nia.emat.uk

Further careers advice and guidance is readily available online. We recommend How 2 Become as a starting point for careers guidance and resources.

Careers Week and Take Your Child to Work Day

Year 10 students will participate in a Career Week from Monday 4th to Friday 8th July. The week will include a range of activities to develop their skills and understanding of the world of work, including workshops with visiting speakers, business and enterprise challenges, virtual work experiences, developing CVs and interview techniques.

Click here for more details of the Careers Week trips

To ensure each student also experiences off-site work experience, we are requesting parents/carers to arrange a Take Your Child to Work Day on Wednesday 6th July. Students will spend the day with a parent or trusted family member/friend, developing their understanding of the industry this person works within and their job role.

Please complete the attached Parent and Employer Agreement forms to identify where your child will be placed for Take Your Child to Work Day, and who will be taking responsibility for their welfare on this day. This form will need to be signed by yourself as parent/carer and the employer to confirm the placement. If your child will be placed with trusted family member or friend rather than with yourself, please clearly identify this person, their relationship to you and your child and ensure you they and you sign the form to confirm the placement and your permission of it.

Careers Week is scheduled to include:

- Careers quizzing and exploration of different industries

- Guest speakers from a range of industries delivering short presentations/workshops about their sector

- Enterprise Team Challenge with students selecting to focus on either Creative, Construction or Digital Technologies industries

- Theatre performance from IDEK company on making choices about the future

- Researching and discussing different careers including key skills and pay scales

- Barclays Life Skills interactive virtual work experience

- Job hunting: understanding job adverts and where to search for jobs in different fields

- CV and Personal Statement writing

- What to expect from and how to prepare for job interviews, including mock interviews

- Virtual work experience relating to National Manufacturing Day (Friday 7th July)

We are also hoping to take all students on a careers-related trip during the week. Places for these will be on a first-come, first-served basis and costs will vary depending on the destination and travel requirements. Students will be given a full run down of the trips available to them and collect permission letters for these in due course.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does it matter what type of work my child does? The focus of Careers Week and Take Your Child to Work Day is to give students a taster of work and employment. While it is wonderful if your job role aligns with your child’s career ambitions it is not essential at this stage. Instead, we want them to understand the structure and nature of different industries and businesses to develop their ambitions and understanding of the different pathways available to them.

I cannot take my child into work on Wednesday 6th July, can I use a different day that week? Ideally all students will have the same day on placement to ensure they all benefit from the other activities planned for the rest of the week. However, if you cannot take your child with you on Wednesday 6th July, one of the other days that week can be used as an alternative. Students in this situation will have classes collapsed and spend time completing other missed activities on this day instead.

What if I don’t work or my employer won’t allow me to take my child into work with me? If you have a trusted family member or friend who can take your child instead, this is a good solution to this problem. For a minority of students, it will be possible to find places at NIA or one of the other schools in the Trust, however this should be used as a last resort only. If no placement can be organised, then students will participate in virtual work experience throughout the day instead.

I think my child would benefit from more than one day of on-site work experience, can I take them for longer? Yes, you may. We are happy for students to participate in longer off-site work experience during this week. Please signify which days you will be having them with you as work placement on the attached form.