Careers at EPC
Our bespoke career programme is underpinned by the research that has been carried out by the Gatsby Foundation and is fully integrated into our Personal Development programme. The 8 benchmarks are at the heart of our career provision and all planning is linked to these benchmarks. We monitor the effectiveness of our provision against the benchmarks and other statutory guidance regularly and update where needed. To keep our provision as relevant as possible we use local labour market information and use this to regularly reflect on the effectiveness of the careers programme. An important part of our reflection is seeking feedback from a wide range of stakeholders including students, teachers, employers and parents and we use this to develop what we provide. We also use post-16 destination data to see where our provision could be improved.
Our careers planning is regularly shared in Senior Leadership Meetings and Governor meetings and their full backing is received.
Our Careers Team:
- Senior Leader Responsible for careers: Mrs Connolly, 0151 350 6000, LConnolly@epcollege.org.
- KS5 Careers and Progression Manager: Mrs Katriona Whittingham, 0151 350 6000, KWhittingham@epcollege.org.
- Careers Governor: Mike Meynell
At EPC, we ensure that The Gatsby Benchmarks are reviewed and addressed when careers planning for each phase.
| 1. A stable careers programme | Every school should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by students, parents, teachers, governors and employers. |
| 2. Learning from careers and labour market information | Every student, and their parents, should have access to good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. Students need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information. |
| 3. Addressing the needs of each student | Students have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of the student. A career programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout. |
| 4. Linking careers learning to the wider curriculum | All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths. |
| 5. Encounters with employers and employees | Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes. |
| 6. Experiences of workplaces | Every student should have first-hand experiences of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and /or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks. |
| 7. Encounters with further and higher education providers | All students should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in school, colleges, universities and in the workplace. |
| 8. Personal guidance | Every student should have opportunities for guidance interviews with an independent and impartial career adviser, who could be internal or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. |
Learners with Additional Needs
A Local Authority adviser will be invited to annual reviews when learners who are in receipt of an Education and Health Care plan (EHCP) reach Year 11. Students who have an EHCP or are in Local Authority Care will also receive additional Careers Guidance from school.
Support for learners who have left school
Learners who leave EPC after Year 11, 12 or 13 have continued support from Council Careers Guidance Team. Professional careers advisers from the team are available to see learners from schools in Cheshire West and Chester.