Entrepreneurship - Encouragement to make a job, not take a job!

A number of interesting articles have crossed my path recently confirming what many writers, economists and politicians, commenting on the parlous state of the current economy, feel is perhaps the best way forward out of the current recession. The message coming out is more encouragement for all to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

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.

Languages - a crucial addition to today's CV

Giving up a language too soon can affect one's career prospects.  In our competitive global market place the demand is increasing exponentially and employers are valuing multi lingual employees who have the skills and expertise to operate in international environments.
I'm indebted to Kathryn Board, Chief Executive of CILT National Centre for Languages, who contributed such an informative article on modern languages in the Independent 15th October 2009. Read more

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.

New courses - new opportunities!!

I feel it appropriate in this the last Blog for 2009/10 that I pinpoint a number of new job opportunities that have come to my attention over the past month and which might provide some discussion with sixth form students in the new term.

New University for Derry - a stimulus for the future?

Derry's euphoria from winning the UK City of Culture 2013 has not yet died down.  Whether it will be a sufficient enough incentive to get university aspirants to consider Derry as a venue in the same way as they view either Belfast or Jordanstown remains to be seen! Allied to this is an ambitious plan drawn up various business and community leaders to create new university conditions in the city by 2020. The intention is to lift the city and the North West region, both academically, and importantly, economically as it sets about challenging decades of economic inactivity, high unemployment and few opportunities for higher skills development. Read more

Widen your search for Apprenticeship opportunities

In my final piece on Apprenticeship for the academic year 2009/10 I was struck by an article in the Belfast Telegraph on Tuesday 27th April 2010 when Symon Ross informed us that the Engineering Training Council (ETC) was inviting applications for more than 100 engineering apprenticeships to begin in September.