CAREERS
careers and organising ‘encounters’ with potential employers are all part of a new government drive to help students make connections between school and work. Opening pupils’ horizons by introducing them to ambassadors from the wider world is an essential part of the process. Unsurprisingly, guests are often former pupils whose success feels relatable and within reach to current students. There are the newer leavers who have voyaged to universities, employment or apprenticeships and might be familiar faces to current pupils. Their ‘how I did it’ accounts and descriptions of the wonders and challenges they’ve encountered along the way can be inspirational to those planning on taking the same path. Former pupils and others (such as parents) who are further on in their careers and carving a name for themselves in their chosen profession are also much in demand, often asked to make guest appearances at careers events or to add lustre to pupil-organised societies that focus on a particular specialist area such as medicine or science. And if they’re
– inspirational figures who have overcome huge challenges against all the odds, or entrepreneurs whose highly individual perspective helped them turn the spark of an idea into a world-class business. Harnessing such expertise is part of a holistic approach to education. While
academic achievement is vital for pupils, so is getting a sense of how they might use their talents once they embark on their adult lives. So important is this area that it’s also a compulsory aspect of the curriculum in state schools. Linking subjects to possible
47 CAMBRIDGE EDUCATION GUIDE
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