Careers Resources
Getting the right careers education, information, advice and guidance can inspire you to achieve more than you ever thought possible.
Below are a number of websites, resources and links that can help to spark your imagination and guide you to a bright future!
Walkden CEIAG Roadmap Yr 7-11
Career Choices
There are so many different jobs and careers you can do. There are even more pathways to get there. This can either be exciting or terrifying, depending how you feel about your future. Don’t worry! On this section of the website, we have lots of information, links and videos to help you start to think about your future.
Getting started with your Post-16 applications
Useful websites
The following career websites are good for helping you decide on a career, researching jobs, producing a CV and covering letter and much more:
To apply for a job, you’ll need a CV. Complete the form below to build and download a CV which you can use to apply for roles at Co-op and other organisations.
cvbuilder.coop.co.uk
National Career Service. For Careers advice, job profiles, information, resources and more.
nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
From accountants to zookeepers, get a first-hand view of jobs and ideas for your future.
icould.com
Whether you’re deciding what to study, taking your exams, planning a career, or just curious, we’re here to explain the world of work, with advice from people who’ve found the right path for them.
bbc.co.uk/bitesize/careers
Career exploration, jobs & advice. All good. All in one place.
Careersbox is the national careers film library, a free careers resource showing hundreds of real people doing real jobs.
allaboutcareers.com
Success at School is the place for young people to explore careers, get the lowdown on top employers, and search for the latest jobs, courses and advice.
successatschool.org
Screenskills is the industry-led skills body for the screen industries – film, television (including children’s, unscripted and high-end), VFX (visual effects), animation and games. We provide insight, career development and other opportunities to help people get into the industry and progress within it.
Find out more about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at STEM.ORG
The Greater Manchester NHS Careers & Engagement Hub is a recently launched initiative aimed at improving the information and support available to people who are looking for career opportunities in the NHS throughout the region.
The latest news, advice and guidance to help you land your dream job in the sports industry.
careers-in-sport.co.uk
With accurate information on over 1400 jobs including live labour market information and a wealth of impartial advice on education and employment choices, eCLIPS helps young people to make informed study and career decisions.
eclips-online.co.uk | LOGIN: coopcareers
From employment and training opportunities to support with wellbeing, finance, and travel, this one stop shop helps young people find their future in the Salford area. Find my future.
Work Experience
Introduction to Work Experience
Work Experience is a valuable opportunity in helping our students to prepare for the world of work and develop their employability skills. It also provides a sample of potential career pathways, and most importantly, allows the student to gain the independent skills of searching for a job, communicating with employers and fulfilling a role within an organisation.
Year 10 Work Experience will be the 24th - 28th June 2024. This process will be co-ordinated by Tailored Education Ltd, who conduct risk assessments in partnership with Co-op Academy Walkden.
Due to the high volume of placements that require risk assessing, Tailored Education Ltd requires significant notice before the placement starts. This ensures we have authorisation for your son/daughter to take part in work experience. It also provides us with the information and time they need to help ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of your child while they are on placement. Without completed forms, placements will not be authorised.
Please ensure this information is returned to us by 29th March 2024
Parental Work Experience Consent Form and Placement Contact Details
Most pupils find work experience through family and friends.
If not then you can target local employers by either calling in person, telephoning or writing an email/letter. An example letter can be found Here
Here you will find a list of local employers that have taken on our pupils in the past that you can contact List of employers
FAQs
On what grounds may a placement be rejected?
The employer does not have Employer Liability Insurance;
The placement is ‘Out of Area’;
The placement fails a Health and Safety Risk Assessment conducted by Tailored Education;
The placement is outside of the allocated school work experience week;
The placement is outside of school hours.
Why does the school not provide a work experience placement for my child?
All Government funding to schools to support work experience ceased in 2012. Work experience was also made non-mandatory for schools. The funding subsidised an external company to manage and source placements on behalf of schools. Due to the extreme volume of the work that goes into organising work experience, an overwhelming majority of schools now no longer do it. We can only budget to ensure that all the work experience placements are risk assessed and considered appropriate for pupils. This alone is a significant amount of money.
Does the school have any placements at all?
We have a small bank of employers that offer placements each year. Disadvantaged pupils will be given priority to these placements. We do have information on what employers tend to offer placements, so it is always worthwhile to ask a question regarding potential employers for contact details.
What insurance does an employer need to have?
Under health and safety law, work experience placements are considered the same as any employee position. They are to be treated no differently, in regards to insurance, than any other young person they employ. Existing employers’ liability insurance policy will cover work placements provided the insurer is a member of the Association of British Insurers. Therefore, there is no need to obtain any additional employer’s liability insurance if you take on work experience students. However, a specific young person’s risk assessment will be required if not already in place. Support for Tailored Education will be available for guidance on this.
All placements must have a valid ELI Insurance to be authorised
What is classed as ‘Out of Area’?
This is a placement where the child is unable to commute from their home address each day. It could also be that it is not within reasonable travelling distance from the school. While on work experience, together with the employer, the school retains responsibility for the welfare of the child while on placement. Therefore, where necessary, we must be able to travel to a child where necessary to ensure their safety.
Can my child come and work where I work?
Yes, providing the employer meets all the necessary ELI insurance, risk assessment criteria, and the placement is not deemed ‘Out of Area.’
What happens if my child doesn’t find a placement?
Pupils will be expected to attend school in their full uniform and will attend their regular timetable.
My child has a disability, and I have concerns about their wellbeing on placement, what should I do?
A disability should hold no barrier regarding your child attending a work experience placement. Please ensure that you list the full details of any disability in the placement paperwork. Also, be sure to discuss this directly with the employer so that they will be able to carry out a risk assessment and make reasonable adjustments to support your child. In the unlikely event, the employer is not supportive in any way; the placement must not be considered. If there are any concerns, contact Ms. Loughnan directly.
What happens if my child is not sure what to do?
The most valuable learning gained from work experience is not necessarily for the type of job they do. It is from the experience of being out in the big wide world and in the workplace. A restaurant or a local shop may not be a chosen career path but may lead to some part-time work. Working where parents work can be a great insight into what parents do. Be open to all placement opportunities and the learning experiences they can individually offer.
Will my child be able to do anything on placement?
Unfortunately, health and safety requirements will no doubt limit what your child will be able to do on placement.
Setting expectations is essential, in most cases, there will be a lot of work shadowing and observations. This can get frustrating and can be annoying if not prepared. Spending time with professionals and employers should be viewed as an opportunity to ask how they got into that form of employment and what pathways they took, do they recommend it. This is a fantastic career research opportunity and should be considered in that light.
Xello
Introducing our new Careers Resource, Xello, that parents can use at home with students online.
Xello will be used to communicate with students regarding anything career-related. This could include applying for college or an apprenticeship. It also includes work experience or industry-related activities.
Xello has already been a big success at Co-op Academy Walkden.
One Year 11 student expressed an interest in welding careers. Through Xello, we have now put him in touch with a local company that recruits apprentices in this area.
Students can directly access Xello by clicking this link.
For younger students, Xello will be used to track their career interests. This will enable us to target particular industries or invite interested students to listen to employer talks and participate in work-related activities.
All students can access Xello through their dashboard when logging into their school Google account.
With Xello, students will be able to:
- Personalise your career profile
- Use the ‘Career Matchmaker Tool’ to help you find your perfect career
- Create your own ‘Careers Storyboard’
- Upload your achievements, hobbies, skills, and qualities
- Explore College, University, and Apprenticeship options
- Find out how much you can earn
- Set Goals and create Action Plans.
We look forward to working together with you and your child to offer them career and industry insights based on their interests and aptitude.