Services for Schools, Colleges & Academies
Careers education and guidance helps students develop the skills and confidence to make realistic and informed decisions about their futures, for themselves, and to manage the transitions from one stage of their education, training and work to the next.
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Careers Consultancy Services
It is important to ensure every young person is equipped with the knowledge, skills and qualifications to give them the best chance of success in adult life.
Careers education and guidance can effectively help young people to succeed when it is joined up, consistent and supports progression.
What this support might look like
Support towards meeting the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks
Advise senior teams and governors of priorities for CEIAG development
Audit, review and plan schemes of work in Years 7-13 and preparing for Ofsted Inspection
Keep abreast of and implement emerging trends and good practice
Review and evaluation of elements of the programme
The Legislation Framework
David Ritchie and Associates offer a range of careers consultancy services to schools, colleges and academies to support the delivery of effective careers education and work-related learning. This is seamlessly embedded with appropriate careers advice and guidance to help institutions meet the provisions in Government legislation of October 2018 “Careers Guidance and Access for Education and Training Providers.”
The duty to provide impartial and independent careers guidance includes all registered pupils in year 8 (12-13-year olds) to years 12 and 13 (16-18-year olds). This allows all young people to access information and advice at more key transition points.
It supports access to information and advice from an earlier age, enabling better informed decisions at age 13 and 14.
Other valuable careers work in year 8 can seek to raise aspirations and improve motivation where the school considers this will benefit individual pupils.
Our team of careers advisers and specialist consultant’s professionalism has been developed through appropriate training, working with businesses and within education.
DRA Careers works closely with schools, colleges and academies to ensure that careers provision is tailored to meet the specific needs of staff, students and parents alike. Associates working in the team have experience of working across institutions in Hertfordshire, many London Boroughs, Essex, Surrey, Norfolk, Suffolk, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.
Careers Education and Guidance
Working collaboratively with careers specialists from David Ritchie and Associates would ensure a level of provision that meets and frankly exceeds both Ofsted’s and the governments interpretation of effective careers provision, supporting the successful transition of your students across key stages and on through education and work.
Julie Ashton, senior Her Majesty’s inspector March 2019
“I should stress that Ofsted approaches inspecting careers education in the same way we approach inspecting schools and colleges generally. We do not have a tick list. We are not here to check on compliance. What we do care about is that whatever you offer to students serves them well and gives them the information and support they need to succeed. In our inspection handbook, we offer a clear description of what "good" and "outstanding" careers education is. It stresses, under "leadership and management", the importance of "high-quality, impartial careers guidance that helps pupils and students to make informed choices about which courses suit their academic needs and aspirations".
Dame Ruth Silver
"Excellent careers advice is too important to leave to chance, because it is essential to personal and economic wellbeing. Now, more than ever, making the right decisions about learning or work really matters. Economic growth demands even higher-level skills and no-one is guaranteed a career for life. Decisions – whether they are about GCSEs and A levels, apprenticeships, university courses, or joining the professions must be made on the basis of expert information and advice. Getting it wrong now can be costly in thwarted personal ambitions and unmet skill needs”
Our careers advisers will aim to
Empower your students to become critical consumers of careers information able to make appropriate decisions at key transition points
Promote the concept of “lifelong learning” and career management skills 
Provide a challenging, innovative, coherent and consistent careers education, information, advice and guidance (ceiag) service that is supportive of and consistent with the outcomes illustrated in the cdi ceg/wrl framework 2018 and Gatsby.
Our careers advisers will work with you to
Promote equality of opportunity
Ensure independence and impartiality
Involve parents/guardians/carers in supporting their young people
Identify partners and networking opportunities
Provide typed action plans for both young people and tutors
Ensure associates working with young people have received enhanced dbs disclosures
Support students to make well informed and realistic decisions
Provide impartial one to one career guidance
Deliver group work to students as part of a taught careers programme or independent from the taught careers programme including for example:
Apprenticeships including higher apprenticeships and how to access them
STEM opportunities
LMI and occupational awareness
Options at 14, 16, 17 and 18
Decision making, choices and transition planning
Job search skills including CV writing and interview skills
Use of social networking in career planning
Choosing Higher Education, UCAS applications and CVs
Personal Statement clinics
Want help deciding your future?
To arrange an appointment, learn more about our services or discuss your questions please contact us today. We look forward to working with you!
