Northern Ireland - two potential areas to consider for job opportunities

While many still remain sceptical about climate change, evidence points to rising world temperatures. The renewable energy sector is arguably the way forward and some of Northern Ireland's more innovative firms have realised this and are focusing their attention on what could become a huge industry.

The ageing workforce in sectors such as transport and logistics and the lack of new blood coming into these industries is impacting heavily on the UK's ability to compete globally.

More resources and downloads

Martin Hutchinson, National Manager for NI Institute of Motor Industry recently contacted me regarding information on the Headlights programme. Martin informs me that he can obtain the sponsorship to have prizes for the top NI teams (up to £1000 worth) if I could get at least 20 teams to enter. I'm counting on you either to include the competition as an opportunity for enterprise activity within the careers education class, or should you wish, pass it on to one of your colleagues in the school.read more

Future skills needs of the economy

Just before Christmas the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) launched its report into future skills need of enterprise within the Green Economy.  The fast growing Green Economy has been identified as an area where Ireland has potential for growth. The study identifies the future skills needs of enterprise to capitalise on the green economy in Ireland and proposes a range of measures to ensure that their future skills base will drive business and employment growth.

Some six sub sectors were identified as having business and employment growth.  These include; renewable energies;  efficient energy use and management; water and wasre water treatment; waste management, recovery and recycling; environmental and consultancy services; green ICT applications and software.

Career opportunities highlighted within the Sector Skills Councils (SSC)

In Career Guidance Today Volume 18.3 July 2010 Helen Barrett, Careers Executive, GoSkills, makes a strong case for considering passenger transport as a potential career area to research and reflect upon especially as there may be exciting opportunities for young people in such varied field as
designing transport systems, engineering high speed trains, or directing aircraft.

Half of women believe their gender affects chances of being hired

I came across this interesting piece of research from the Institute of Career Guidance (ICG) news and felt that it would be a useful stimulus to provoke discussion and debate on issues of gender especially as it relates to one of the six KS4 LLW Statements of Minimum Entitlement - Investigate recruitment and retention, rights and responsibilities in the workplace. Arguably, this challenging topic of equality and diversity in the workplace should be an integral part of any careers teachers' 14 to 19 CEIAG programmes of work.

Interesting resources and downloads to explore

As this is the final blog for the 2009/2010 academic year I thought I would sign off by providing you with some interesting resources and downloads for you to peruse in your own time over the coming months so that, if you feel they are relevant to your programme of work for 2010/2011, you can integrate them.

Doing it for the kids!

Of late social work as a career has come in for some bad press.  Anna Tims writing in the Guardian on the 21st March 2010 put it most succinctly when she reported,

'In the good times social work is ignored by the comfortable majority.  In the bad, it is relentlessly, damningly publicised!'

The Oscar nominated actor, Samantha Morton spoke last year of the 'wonderful' social workers who supported her as a child as she helped to launch a national campaign aimed at recruiting more people into the profession. She is backing a campaign to recruit more than 5,000 social workers for vulnerable children, adults and families. The Help Give Them a Voice TV campaign is being fronted by a number of leading celebrities, and comes amid fears that recent bad press will deter people from choosing social work as a career.The Children's Secretary wants a more confident, better resourced, and better trained profession.

What will work look like in 2020?

As we begin the second decade of the new millennium, Ian Wylie, writing in 'The Guardian' (Saturday 9th January) posits an interesting question for us on what work will look like in 2020. According to futurists, trade unionists and human resource specialists in 10 years' time, jobs will be very, very different. Perhaps now is a good time at the start of a new decade to figure out which sectors, industries and jobs are destined for growth.

Career by Numbers

The following information - Career by Number - has been drawn from the WORK supplement in Saturday's edition of 'The Guardian' newspaper over the past two months, and it can be used  as a 'fun' exercise at the beginning of each month, either in some form of quiz exercise or as a poster competition for Careers of the Month.

Would you like a career as a media technician?

The Belfast Telegraph's Job Finder section on the week ending 17th October carried an interesting article on a career in the media. The search is on for school leavers keen to pursue a career in the technology side of the media industry. The article was particularly timely given the hosting of the most recent Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) conference at Loughry College just the previous day.

Scientists reveal that most babies born in Britain today will live past the age of 100!!

I'm startled to think that my two grand-daughters, born in March 2008, are likely to be living well into the first decade of the 22nd century! How will work have changed to cope with this increasing age profile? Here's an opportunity for you to explore the topic of age in your 'Futures' module in Year 13. Click here
Writing in the 'Sunday Observor' 27/9/2009, Robin McKee and Anuskha Asthana, reported that the Academy of Medical Sciences into old age revealed that 'healthy life expectancy is increasing at least as quickly as life expectancy!

STEM Conference to focus on Careers in Food, Environmental & Land-Based Industries

At the upcoming STEM conference for Careers Teachers in early October, IMPROVE and LANTRA Sector Skills Council will introduce a wide range of career opportunities for young people within the food & drink and environmental & land based  industries. The STEM conferences offer teachers a unique opportunity to highlight ONE of the 25 Sector Skills on their careers notice-board so that young people are reminded of the opportunities, both local and further afield, that lie within each sector.