Expanding Careers Education – Introducing our new Next Steps programme

At The Write Time, we are constantly evolving our careers education and next steps guidance to better prepare our students for their futures. Our commitment to providing meaningful opportunities for career exploration, skill-building, and personal development has led to the expansion of our Next Steps programme, further strengthening our offer and ensuring students are equipped for life beyond TWT.

This term, we have trialled it with our Year 11 students and, seeing its success, we are looking to extend this to all Year 10 students from the next academic year.

Next Steps programme

The Next Steps programme is a six-week initiative designed to help our students explore their post-16 options while developing key life skills. Over six Thursdays, students engaged in a mix of practical workshops, site visits, and employer engagement activities, gaining insights into different industries and educational pathways. To support their learning, students were provided with a booklet and a range of resources developed by us, helping them reflect on their skills, interests, and review the sessions they participated in as well as keeping a record of key contact details for their future.

Key highlights of the programme included:

• College and Workplace Visits – Providing real-world exposure to various career sectors and higher education institutions.
• Skill-Building Sessions – Covering essential areas such as CV writing, interview techniques, and identifying transferable skills.
• Interactive Employer Engagement – A fun and insightful ‘Guess the Job’ activity with Croydon Commitment, where students asked local employers yes or no questions to determine their professions.
• Qualification Achievement – The work completed during the programme contributed towards students earning their King’s Trust qualification in Personal Development and Employability Skills, aimed at equipping students with essential workplace skills.

Strengthening Partnerships to Expand Opportunities

A crucial part of enhancing the Next Steps programme is expanding our network of partners. By growing collaborations with local employers, industry experts, and education providers, we can ensure students gain access to an even broader range of experiences, opportunities, and insights into the world of work. Partners for this year included Palace 4 Life, Pizza Express, Stellantis (Peugeot car show room), TFL.

Croydon Commitment has been instrumental in delivering engaging sessions such as interview technique workshops, interactive presentations, and the engaging ‘Guess the Job’ activity. These experiences provide students with firsthand exposure to employer expectations and industry insights, helping them build confidence for their future careers.

Additionally, Colleges like Croydon and John Ruskin Colleges have been keen to do even more going forward, offering open evenings, campus tours, and participation in careers events. This growing collaboration will provide our students with a more comprehensive understanding of the educational pathways available to them, allowing them to make well-informed choices about their futures.

Strengthening Careers Education Through Holistic Support

This programme further integrates the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks in our career offer, a nationally recognised framework for high-quality careers education. By aligning with these standards, we ensure our students have access to well-rounded careers guidance, firsthand employer encounters, and opportunities to link career learning to their academic curriculum.

This integration strengthens our provision and complements the efforts of the King’s Trust qualification as well as the mentoring programme, which plays a crucial role in ensuring students are continuously supported in their career exploration. Through mentoring, students actively discuss their aspirations, create action plans, and regularly review their progress toward their goals. This structured approach helps them build confidence, make informed decisions, and stay motivated in their career journeys.

Our provision is Matrix Standard accredited, ensuring that our Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance (CEIAG) meets the highest levels of quality and effectiveness. 

Looking Ahead

With the success of the Next Steps programme, we are excited to expand our careers education further. Strengthening employer partnerships, increasing hands-on learning experiences, and deepening our mentoring support will remain key priorities as we prepare students for the future.By continuously evolving our careers education offer and growing our network of partners, we are supporting our students to feel empowered with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to take charge of their futures. We look forward to seeing where their next steps take them!