Career Planning

CAREER PLANNING AT ST PAUL’S

The goal of the St Paul’s Career Service remains that it is a school wide service and the responsibility of every staff member.  Careers’ Education is embedded in the school’s culture and integrated across curriculum areas and pastoral care networks. 
The School has qualified and experienced staff that are available to assist in the provision of careers advice and planning, particularly in the area of careers’ profiling for seniors.
In brief, the school wide format is as follows:
Years 9 and 10
Short group sessions are held in classes in which students are given tasks to introduce them to the concept of career, as well as facilitate access to the huge array of resources available to students in digital and book form.
Prior to the Year 10’s choosing subjects for Year 11, all students are seen briefly on a one on one basis to ensure that subject choices are accurate and future career or study pathways are not limited. This is reasonably straightforward at St Paul’s, as the timetable is structured to generally allow a broad selection of subjects.
Year 11
All students will have an initial one on one interview with the Careers’ Adviser during the course of the year. Approximately one hour per student is allocated to this and the process entails formal career profiling techniques. Students are encouraged to start investigations into three or four areas of strength and career interest.  Students are given specific activities to support this selection process and produce evidence of the progress if this process over the next two years.
Each student is expected to have a Careers’ folder in which material of interest is retained.  Prior to the Year 12 subject choice submission, students are required to indicate their career(s) of interest. Students whose results/subject choices are not consistent with the particular career interests will be re-interviewed to identify any issues that will prevent a student from achieving their chosen path.
Year 12
During one study period every cycle, students will, under the guidance of the Careers’ Adviser, have the opportunity to fine tune their plans via the myriad of websites available.  This is supported, where appropriate by guest speakers, discussion sessions and brief one on one report back sessions. 
For those students taking six subjects, a series of meetings will be conducted once a term on Wednesday during lunch time.  These sessions will provide an abbreviated version of what the remainder of the group is doing.  The objective of this programme is for students to have narrowed down their options to a main choice and a back up by the end of the year.  As for Year 11, correct subject choice/examination results for the following year is essential. 
Year 13
By Year 13, career and work discussions should be in the final stages.  Students need to be making plans for: tertiary study, gap year or the world of work.  Information gathering continues in association with the careers’ staff. Attendance at university liaison visits is mandatory for those choosing this option on graduation from St Paul’s.
Students are introduced to the process of scholarship application and made aware of the scholarships options available to them. Students will be encouraged and supported to actively pursue scholarships (www.breakout.co.nz) and to meet closing deadlines.  Halls of Residence and university applications will be monitored to ensure that students are placed into the course, and accommodation of choice, in a timely manner.
 
Students are encouraged to get work experience in areas of interest.  Holiday work – even if voluntary, is strongly advised and encouraged. Those students entering the work force in the following year will have their work experience monitored by the Careers Adviser.