DYW
Careers in our local Community – A collaborative project.
The overall aim of the project is to begin to embed Developing the Young Workforce in the primary setting in a meaningful and relevant way. The project is a collaboration between staff at two primary schools in the city of Aberdeen.
Here at Hazlehead we selected to run the project with Primary 4 & 6 pupils, and Culter are working with children in Primary 5 & 7.
At Hazlehead we went digital for this project. Each step along the way was recorded and evidenced in a website we created using Google Sites. The pupils used Google Calendar to schedule meetings and invite people to interviews. They collaborated on shared documents to make notes and record activities as they happened. Google sheets was used as a tool to create a database of local businesses and the pupils populated this as contact was made with their chosen career and interviews arranged.
Unfortunately due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent shutting of the school our project was restricted slightly in the amount of people we were able to interview. Prior to closing we had successfully met with and recorded seven interviews. These interviews were edited and uploaded by the pupils to Google Classroom where they were shared with the two classes involved.
Once we were working from home staff engaged in Google Meets with pupils to move the project forward to a conclusion.
Below you will find a link to the website we created and also a second link to a Google Map. On the map we have highlighted the businesses we were able to interview and you will be able to watch these interviews by clicking the relevant question link.
DYW WEBSITE
https://sites.google.com/ab-ed.org/dywhazleheadschool/home
MAP & INTERVIEWS
An ambition of Developing the Young Workforce is that education and em
ployers work closely together to equip all young people with the skills and knowledge they will need to flourish in work, and to support diversity in the workforce.
This Guidance for School/Employer Partnerships is intended to support the aim of meaningful and productive school/employer partnerships operating in all secondary schools by 2018/19, although it also applies to primary schools and early years. These partnerships should build on good practice and existing links with employers. They should bring mutual benefit and evolve to respond to local circumstances.
For schools there’s a great opportunity to access the skills, knowledge, experience and support of an employer and their workforce. This resource can enhance learning and teaching across the curriculum and help prepare young people for the world of work.
Investing time in building partnerships with employers can provide a range of benefits for young people and the school such as:
- Bringing real life contexts into the classroom
- Increasing awareness about the local labour market and how a business is run
- Workshops introducing children to various career options available
- Opportunities to develop and recognise the skills needed in the workplace – oracy, numeracy, literacy
From nursery the children engage in enterprising activities and actively participate in fundraising efforts to support local charities. As they age, they are given more roles of responsibility when planning and implementing these activities.