Careers
Marine Academy Plymouth Careers Programme
We believe every student should have the knowledge and skills required to be career and university ready, by the time they leave our shores and venture onwards along their aspirational career journey. By possessing the necessary information to make informed choices and the confidence to articulate what makes their character and skill set unique and desirable.
“Character is important —a C.V may get you the interview, but character that will get you the job” (Astronaut Tim Peak).
Careers Lead – Chris Watmore
If you would like to know more about Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance please get in touch with Chris Watmore using the email address provided below.
Email - christopher.watmore@marineacademy.org.uk
Gatsby Benchmarks
The Academy measures its careers education and guidance against the Gatsby benchmarks. These are a set of measures outlined by John Holman in his 2014 report ‘Good Career Guidance’ and adopted as best practice by the government in 2017 and OFSTED in 2019.
These are:
- A stable careers programme.
- Learning from career and labour market information.
- Addressing the needs of each student.
- Linking curriculum learning to careers.
- Encounters with employers and employees.
- Experiences of workplaces.
- Encounters with further and higher education.
- Personal guidance.
Gatsby Benchmarks - 2024 Annual Review
We are proud to achieve 100% across all eight benchmarks.
Marine Academy Plymouth is committed to providing a planned programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) for all students, in partnership with The Career and Enterprise Company. We follow the CDI Framework for Careers, Employability and Enterprise Education March 2018.
Our Aims
- Provide good quality independent and impartial careers advice to students which inspires them and motivates them to fulfil their potential.
- Provide advice and guidance which will empower young people to plan and manage their own futures.
- Encourage students to develop high aspirations and consider a broad and ambitious range of careers.
- Encourage students to see career development as a life-long process.
- Contribute to raising achievement and promote participation in learning.
- Support inclusion, challenge stereotyping and promote equality of opportunity.
- Provide opportunities to work with employers and be inspired by real-life contact with the world of work.
- Develop enterprise and employability skills.
- Support students at key transition points.
Staffing
At Marine Academy we believe that all members of staff have a responsibility in careers education. We have a specialist Careers Lead appointed and we are well supported by a range of external guests. The CEIAG programme is planned, monitored and evaluated by the Career Leader in consultation with the Careers Adviser who provides specialist careers guidance.
Curriculum
The careers programme includes fortnightly tutor programme sessions about careers, as well as a PSHE programme dedicated to careers activities, career guidance activities (group work & individual interviews), information and research activities (in Careers Office and on the school intranet, internet), work-related learning, and individual learning planning/portfolio activities. Other focused events, e.g. College Taster Days, Apprenticeship talks, careers fairs, interview days and presentations are provided.
The policy is published online (in compliance with statutory guidance) for those external training providers who request access to our students. We are fortunate to work with a large number of external organisations who help us to achieve our aims.
Evaluation
The School will assess the impact of its careers programmes on students by completing an annual student survey and analysing destinations data in line with activities that they have taken part in at school. In addition, the views of students and parents will be surveyed after key events such as Parents evenings, Parent forum, Year 10 Work Experience, Year 12 Work Experience etc. The views of employers will also be evaluated after each engagement opportunity.