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Work-Related Learning

Careers Education Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

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The CEIAG Department, in close liaison with the Northern Ireland Careers Service (Department of Employment and Learning) works towards: 

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  • Enabling our students to develop the skills necessary to make informed decisions about their education and training and employment options based on self-awareness, understanding of the relevance of their education, skills and experiences and awareness of the available pathways and opportunities (locally, nationally and internationally).

  • Providing our students with the opportunities and experiences to develop essential employability and life skills in order to become effective citizens and employees.

  • Ensuring that our students have access to good quality career education, information, advice and guidance, tailored to their individual needs, so that they are able to make informed choices.

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Work Experience
 

  • Year 12 and Year 13 pupils participate in a Work Experience Programme. . They are carefully prepared beforehand and receive a visit from a member of staff during their week's work experience.

  • At the end of the placement, the employer provides a written report about each participant. The pupils are encouraged to assess their own performance and use it to inform their career choice.

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Outline of Programmes

Students are introduced to personal career planning in Year 10 which involves the process of target setting, action planning, researching and reviewing career options.

This is revisited on an on-going basis along with the provision of formal Careers Education lessons in Years 12 & 13.
 

  • During this time, students participate in seminars, work-related experiences and activities exploring the ever-changing labour market.

  • Year 10 and Year 12 along with all staff head out on industry visits during our annual “Insight into Industry” Day.

  • Year 8-14 attend our talks and workshops during our annual “Employability Skills” Week and STEAM Week.

  • Yr 12 and Yr 13 have an opportunity to engage in work-experience organised in liaison with School Employer Connections.

  • All pupils in Years 10, 12, 13 and 14 have a careers guidance interview.

In St. Cecilia’s College, pupils are encouraged to gain experience of the world of work in career areas that may be of interest to them.

In Years 12 & 13, all students participate in the Work-Shadowing Programme which provides students with the opportunity to spend time in companies and organisations across Northern Ireland and beyond.

Following a programme of classes in Interview Skills, Year 14 students participate in the Mock Interview Programme. As part of this programme, a panel of professionals from a wide range of career areas and representatives from universities attend St. Mary’s to interview Year 14 students. Students are assessed on their performance in the interview and are provided with detailed feedback to enable them to identify their strengths and their areas for improvement.

Employability Skills

Employability Skills are the wide range of skills and capabilities, attributes and dispositions that will allow pupils to be employable, to sustain employment and to become a life-long learner capable of realising their potential in the world of work. The skills and capabilities necessary for employability include:

 

  • Communication;

  • Numeracy;

  • Information and Communications Technology (ICT);

  • Working with Others;

  • Problem Solving;

  • Decision-Making;

  • Self-Management; and

  • Managing Information.


As a school, we aim to develop the Employability Skills of pupil through all aspects of our curricular and extra-curricular provision.
“Insight into Industry” Day.

The Insight into Industry day is aimed at providing each and every Year 10 and Year 12 student with:

  • a meaningful insight into business

  • an understanding of employment

  • an example of the type of organisations we have in the North West (Derry, Strabane and Letterkenny.)

  • an idea of the qualifications and skills set required for jobs

  • an opportunity to see first-hand the range of jobs available

  • personal experiences of each organisation

We sincerely hope that by engaging in the Insight into Industry day students can approach career planning with a more informed knowledge about key employability skills.

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