Who Do I Want to Be?
Key Element: Employability
Year 10
The learning activities in this unit will help make young people aware of employment opportunities available now and those likely to be available in the future. It emphasises how the skills developed across the curriculum will support a range of careers. The unit helps pupils develop entrepreneurial skills and to focus on the importance of Modern Languages and Mathematics to their future working lives. Pupils will be encouraged to think about how the steps they take now can help them fulfil their potential.
What is Employability?
Employability helps pupils investigate how the skills developed across the curriculum will be useful to a range of careers. It is about creating an awareness of employment opportunities within various industries. Employability is not only a Key Element but also a strand within Learning for Life and Work. The aim of Education for Employability within Learning for Life and Work is to ensure that all young people develop the personal qualities, skills, knowledge and attitudes which will give them a strong foundation for lifelong learning and for working in a rapidly changing economic environment.
Why is Employability important?
The world of work is undergoing major changes. Traditional jobs are disappearing and new employment opportunities are being created, largely due to the impact of technology and the global market. Heavy industries have been rationalised and, in many areas, they have been replaced by small business units or service industries. It is no longer the case that school leavers will remain in the same job throughout their working lives. Northern Ireland must develop a greater entrepreneurial culture, and entrepreneurial attitudes and skills must be encouraged in people of all ages, even those at school.
It is vital for pupils to see the connections between school and the world of work, linking the knowledge and skills they are developing today to their future lives. Employers are not just interested in what young people know, but also their ability to work with others, their capacity to manage information and themselves, and their skills in applying their knowledge in order to solve problems and make decisions.