Career Academies

Career Academies UK is a registered charity set up by the business community in 2002, inspired by Career Academies in the US. They lead and support a movement of employers, schools and colleges, working together to raise the aspirations of 16 – 19 year olds.

Career Academies has been running at New Rickstones Academy for three years now. Career Academy students follow a two-year personal and business finance BTEC National Qualification, that enables them to progress into higher education. Our first cohort of students graduated this summer.

The scheme consists of 4 key areas as shown above, all graduating students have completed an internship with a local business as well as working closely with a business partner.

Our current students are going to companies in Liverpool Street, Canary Wharf, Ipswich, Kelvedon and Witham. This of course is excellent for their employability skills and future opportunities.

For further information or the opportunity to become a business partner, internship placement or guru, then please contact Amanda Morrell at New Rickstones Academy.

Career Academies UK Co-ordinator

CareerAcademiesUK@newrickstonesacademy.org

Aspirational Students kick start their careers this summer

Five of our students will take their first steps onto the career ladder this Summer. At a time when graduate unemployment is at a high and university fees are rising, these students will don business suits and forgo their holidays to undertake internships at leading employers, organised by the business education charity, Career Academies UK. It is hoped that their early introductions into the workplace will help them to secure either employment or places onto higher education courses, and boost social mobility.

Barber Jackson, Willis, Clydesdale Bank, McGraw Hill and Conway Fielden Gough are amongst the local and regional businesses giving students the opportunity to boost their aspirations, experience the world of work and put the skills and knowledge they have learnt at school or college into practice.

NRA has run the pioneering two year enrichment programme, that sits alongside a curriculum equivalent to at least three A-levels, for three years. Career Academies demonstrably improve student’ achievement and attainment. Almost 85% of Career Academy graduates progress onto either higher education (often the first in their family) or into employment with further training. The students get to develop a range of other skills and attributes including communication and confidence and they learn how to spot opportunities, overcome challenges and implement ideas.

The programme does not just benefit the students. James McCreary, Chief Executive of Career Academies UK, explains “Hosting internships brings numerous benefits to the employers involved. By supervising interns, employees can develop their own leadership and mentoring skills, something which allows them to boost their own contributions to the organisation. By actively championing social mobility, employees can also enhance their own sense of fulfilment, by giving something back. Interns are also well placed to offer valuable objective feedback on the business, often contributing fresh and creative ideas into the mid. Many of our partners express their delight at the commitment and passion that Career Academy interns bring to the workplace”.

I would like to thank our business partners for their generous cooperation, particularly in such a tough economic climate. I hope that the internships will have an aspirational effect on our students, giving them a sense of the range of careers out there and the confidence to pursue their interests and passions.

Amanda Morrell, Career Academy Coordinator

On Wednesday 4 May the Career Academy Students travelled to the Institute of Education to graduate from Career Academies. We met members of Career Academies and students from other schools.

Throughout the ceremony there were speeches from Sir Winfred Bischoff, Chairman of the Lloyds Banking Group, a keynote speech from Miles Templeman, Director-General, Institute of Directors and David McQueen, a motivational speaker. Throughout there were musical interludes from students of the Thomas Tallis School, London. Two Career Academy graduates hosted the ceremony and there was a speech from a current student informing us of his time and his future plans.

Being a student on the Career Academy programme I gained skills and knowledge and benefited from a Partner in Business, trips and visits, collaboration days at Career Academies but the selling point of the programme was the internship. I spent 5 weeks working in the finance office at the Academies Enterprise Trust. My plans for the future include working in the financial sector and this gave me an invaluable insight.

In graduating I gained a certificate of recognition of my time on the Career Academy programme and a vital addition to my CV. I know that myself, the Career Academy students at New Rickstones Academy and the rest of the students that graduated with me will continue to benefit from this experience in years to come.

Ben Woodwards, Year 13 Student