Working Towards Their Future: Preparing Pupils for What's Next

At Albyn, we encourage pupils to develop the confidence, skills and experiences they need to thrive, whatever path they choose after school. One of the ways we do this is through our ‘Working Towards Your Future’ programme which we held last month, a dedicated week for S5 pupils that explores everything from personal branding and volunteering to entrepreneurship, resilience and higher education.

To find out more about how we support pupils as they prepare for the future, we caught up with Mrs Prentice, Head of Careers and organiser of the programme, who shared how careers education begins at Albyn, what pupils can expect from the week, and why developing skills beyond the curriculum is just as important as academic success.

Can you tell us a little bit about how we prepare pupils for life beyond school. When do you start speaking with pupils about their careers, what support do we provide?

From S1 our pupils receive careers input during their Personal and Social Education (PSE) lessons. We look at a broad range of themes to equip them for the ever changing world of work, including looking at transferable skills and how to develop those skills and how to recognise and use reliable sources of information for research. Beyond scheduled interviews with pupils in S2, S4 and S5 around the time of subject choices, I also offer individual support for anyone with careers questions at any time, whether that is in relation to subject choices, next steps after school or just a chance to discuss a career idea they might have - my door is always open. 

Pupils are supported in their post school applications to university, college, apprenticeships or other destinations. They are encouraged to take ownership of their own futures by undertaking relevant research about different options but know they can always come and ask for help.

What is the 'Working Towards Your Future' programme?

Our recent ‘Working Towards your Future Week’ was a week of activities designed to help the pupils as they progress towards leaving school and their next steps. We looked at personal branding and the use of LinkedIn to establish connections, the value of learning beyond the curriculum and work experience to enhance the chances of achieving study and career goals, the wide range of opportunities and benefits gained through volunteering, resilience and coping with the challenges life throws at us. The pupils also had to come up with a pitch for their own product or service and present that to a guest panel of former pupils.

Can you describe a few of the activities that pupils had opportunity to be involved with at this programme?

The week was packed with opportunities for our pupils to explore future pathways, develop key employability skills and hear from people with inspiring career journeys. We kicked off the week with former pupil Roxanne Hamedi, who shared her story from joining Albyn in S1 to becoming a qualified pharmacist, entrepreneur and a BBC 'Apprentice' candidate. Throughout the week, pupils also explored university opportunities with Robert Gordon University, discovered online learning and virtual work experience platforms, took on collaborative presentation challenges and learned practical wellbeing techniques to help them thrive both in school and beyond.

One of the highlights of the week was our volunteering day, where pupils heard from a range of local charities including the Aberdeen Mountain Rescue Team and Silver City Surfers, before getting out into the community to make a difference themselves. 

The week finished in style with Albyn's very own ‘Dragon’s Den’, where teams developed innovative product ideas, created marketing campaigns and pitched them to a panel of former pupils, putting their creativity, teamwork and communication skills to the test. It was a brilliant week that encouraged pupils to think beyond the classroom, build confidence and discover that there are many different paths to success.

The Dragons’ Den-style pitch sessions sound particularly exciting. How do activities like these help pupils develop skills that employers and universities are looking for?

Undoubtedly teamwork, collaboration, time management, creativity, and presentation skills. We were so impressed with all that they achieved in the limited time available but it was particularly pleasing to see them stand up and deliver a presentation to an audience with confidence, an invaluable skill for the future and one that they can really develop through experiences like this.

Volunteering is also a key focus. What value does volunteering bring to pupils both personally and professionally?

The personal benefits include giving back to the community in so many different ways, from one off events to a regular commitment but it also improves their own wellbeing. Professionally, volunteering can help them develop skills in so many areas from communication, teamwork, leadership, commitment, time management, creativity - the list could go on, depending what they do. These skills can be invaluable when applying for jobs, particularly part-time student jobs or early career roles when young people don’t have a bank of employment experience. A commitment to regular volunteering says something about you as a person which is likely to be attractive to employers.

What message do you hope pupils take away from the week?

The week covered a huge variety of things, however the main points would be the value of making connections, how volunteering can help you on your career journey and strategies to cope when things get tough.

Whether pupils choose university, an apprenticeship, employment or a different path altogether, our aim is the same: to ensure they leave Albyn feeling confident, capable and excited about what comes next. 'Working Towards Your Future' is just one of the many ways we help prepare our pupils not only for their next step, but for a lifetime of learning and opportunity.