Empower Careers Pathway

Empower Careers Pathways, the award-winning careers programme at Trinity Academy Leeds embodies and exemplifies our mantra: ‘Reach Higher, See Further, Shine Brighter’.   At TAL we recognise the importance of high-quality careers education and guidance in school and how critical this is to the futures of all of our young people. It helps to provide them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work, including the jobs and careers that they may find engaging and rewarding. Good careers education supports students to choose their pathways, improve their life opportunities and contribute actively to society. Providing high-quality careers education, information and guidance (CEIAG) is a fundamental pillar of the one curriculum at Trinity Academy Leeds.

With this in mind, starting in the first term of Year 7 at TAL, students are supported to develop the knowledge, skills and expertise to refine and work towards their aspirations. Students engage with diverse, exciting and enriching careers opportunities – with an emphasis on the importance of wise and informed choices alongside the importance of maximising their potential. In Key Stage 3, this is primarily achieved through the three Empower Careers Pathways afternoons, which take place over the course of the year and are detailed below. All students at TAL have equal access to experiences as well as bespoke pathways aimed at developing skills in particular sectors, such as medicine, law, engineering, sporting development and the arts. We challenge stereotypes and encourage students to consider a wide range of careers. As students move into Key Stage 4, the focus moves more towards honing decision-making for the next steps in employment, education or training.

Through Empower Careers Pathways, students also develop their reflective skills to help them to plan for the future, while gaining an understanding of the world of work and what they will need to do to achieve their goals. Strong, long-lasting, and reliable partnerships have been formed with local employers, businesses, and careers providers, which drive Trinity Academy Leeds to provide a robust and comprehensive careers programme through Empower Careers Pathways.

Trinity Academy Leeds Empower Careers Pathway is part of our One Curriculum. Staff at Trinity Academy Leeds are dedicated to equality of opportunity and to ensuring that all students are given the best possible access to information about Further and Higher Education and careers, adhering to our mantra: Reach Higher, See Further, Shine Brighter.

The Gatsby Benchmarks, which provide a clear guide for world-class careers education, apply for Years 7-11. While we remain in the opening stages of our development, we will meet all age-appropriate benchmarks and have a clear plan in place for development as students move up the school.

Year 7

Empower starts in the first term of Year 7, when all students participate in one of the trips below, followed by another two later in the year. The aim of the trips is for the students have phenomenal experiences outside the classroom, experience workplaces, speak to professionals about their careers and start to form ideas of their own careers pathways.

Leeds Heritage Theatres: At The Grand Theatre and Leeds City Varieties, students engage with a skills-based workshop on a theme in-line with the current production at the Leeds City Varieties, supporting our academy specialism of Performing Arts. Students then go on a tour of the front of house of Leeds City Varieties or The Grand Theatre, learn about the history of the building and the theatre industry then speak with the education team and industry professionals about the teamwork required to bring a performance to life on the stage. Throughout the tour, students will engage with some of the more practical aspects of working in the theatre; the costume wardrobe, lighting, sound and front of house management. Students can test out the seats around the theatre and have the opportunity to ask questions about the varying careers available in this historic setting.

Tropical World: A tour of Leeds’ very own zoo, tying in with our Year 7 Geography enquiries on ecosystems and sustainability. Students experience the best Leeds has to offer in terms of diverse wildlife and a careers talk from a real zoo keeper! This is followed by a walk through the spectacular Roundhay Park to the Ann Maguire Education Centre, where they learn about careers in ecology, conservation and sustainability through interactive activities. Students also have plenty of opportunities to ask questions about the wonderful species of animals they will see and routes into the potential careers within the sector.

Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute: A local, national and international trip as students become Art Detectives in Leeds Art Gallery, uncovering the history and meanings behind different paintings. Students delve deeper into local art through a guided workshop at the Henry Moore Institute, along the way exploring various careers available through both heritage and art.

Maths City and Balfour Beatty: Students will visit one of Leeds’  most exciting educational attractions; Maths City. Here they have the opportunity to engage with the multiple exciting activities on offer then work collaboratively on an engineering challenge to build a giant dome. Students will need to employ teamwork, strategy and maths skills. Students then learn about project management and engineering with Balfour Beatty, followed by an engineering challenge. This day allows the real-world applications of maths to come alive to all students.

The Discovery Centre: The Discovery Centre houses over a million artefacts from Leeds and the surrounding area. Students take a tour and see the incredible variety of items, including Burmantofts pottery (made on the site that TAL stands on today). They then engage with a workshop learning what it is like to be a historical researcher and archivist; asking the questions that a historian might ask, and learning about relevant careers in the process.

 

Year 8

In Year 8, students continue their careers exploration through a wide variety of exciting educational experiences!

Leeds College of Building

During this visit, students get a hands-on opportunity to engage with a post-16 option available to them in Leeds. Students learn about apprenticeships and T-levels, while getting their hands dirty in workshops on bricklaying and plumbing, and even electronics! This also supports Trinity Academy Leeds to meet the Baker Clause by providing students the opportunity to have conversations about alternative options for Further Education.

Thackray Museum of Medicine and Leeds University

Linking directly with our Year 8 local History study of the Industrial Revolution in Leeds, students will engage with a guided tour of ‘disease street’, a reconstructed street in Leeds, and identify and evaluate the varying health hazards through the eyes of the people who experienced them. Students will then form their own enquiries as they are guided through the medical exhibits, also reflecting on the jobs available in the medical sector through the gallery ‘who cares’. Students also engage in an interactive workshop through the Leeds University Health Sciences department.

Temple Newsam House and Farm

Students learn about how a busy tourist attraction operates and the careers available in Leeds City Council within the heritage industry. They also test their investigative skills examining contemporary source material in the historic Temple Newsam House as well as putting their chronological knowledge to the test. On Temple Newsam Farm, students get some hands-on experience of animal care, as well as input on the opportunities for study and apprenticeships available on-site through Leeds City College.

Lloyds Bank

A brand new experience for 2024-5; students visit the site of the Lloyds Bank offices on Wellington Street in Leeds, have a full guided tour with the opportunity to ask questions to staff ambassadors. Students also have an additional employer encounter through a problem-solving workshop and are encouraged to access the ‘Imagine What’s Next’ student platform and resource, providing the opportunity to continue their research subsequent to the event.

EY Foundation

TAL is working with the EY Foundation to organise interactive workshops with industry professionals. Students learn about the variety of fantastic professional roles in the city of Leeds, have a tour of a genuine office space and engage in a ‘speed networking’ event, honing their communication skills.

 

Year 9

As students move into Year 9, they are getting to the point in their educational journey where they need to start making choices about their future options. By the end of Year 9, all students will have chosen the subjects that they wish to study at GCSE. With this in mind, the trips become more focused on further and higher education, with very specific workplace inputs. All students will go on two trips, then engage with the careers fair during their final Empower afternoon. The careers fair is an exciting opportunity for students to speak to local and national employers, as well as further and higher education providers.

Leeds City College

Students go to either the Printworks or Quarry Hill Campus, have a tour of the campus and engage in an interactive workshop. They have the opportunity to speak with tutors and student ambassadors, as well as eat their lunch in the canteen with the students. This trip is a taster opportunity into the world of post-16 education.

Notre Dame College

At Notre Dame College, all students engage with further education as they take a tour through the college while lessons are being delivered, they have the opportunity to ask questions of student and staff ambassadors and learn the entry requirements for this further education institution.

Huddersfield University

On this trip, all students engage with a tour of the impressive Huddersfield University Campus. They are taken on the tour by student ambassadors, and so have the opportunity to ask questions about their higher education journey. Students also engage with a workshop to reveal the different paths into higher education and the opportunities once they get there. Huddersfield University, like TAL, is dedicated to delivering unbiased careers advice and therefore the options shared with students are universal.

White Rose Education

An exciting trip into the world of educational product delivery. White Rose Education is an international company, based in Leeds, that provides resources, training and guidance for teachers of maths and science. During this three-part trip, students have the opportunity to see a real workplace, engage with professionals and have hands-on experiences of digital marketing and product design. Students create promotional videos with Tiny the Turtle and review existing products, using appropriate professional criteria to give feedback.

Veolia Waste for Energy

In-line with TAL’s Earthshot pledge, students visit the state of the art Veolia Waste for Energy site. They have the opportunity to wear the protective clothing and tour the facility, learning about the various careers involved in the recycling waste for energy process. A vital mechanism as we fight to protect our planet, and a careers sector which is forecast to grow over the coming years.

 

Year 10

In Year 10, the Empower provision becomes more bespoke. Throughout the course of the year, all Year 10 students will have a 1:1 appointment with Mr Paley, our Level 7 Careers advisor. He will support students to understand the options available to them as they move into the next phase of education, employment or training. We will also run a number of trips to colleges and universities throughout Years 10 and 11.

On Wednesday, December 6th, all Year 10 students took part in a Mock Interview Day designed to help them prepare for their future careers. The event simulated a real-world interview experience, with students being interviewed by professional volunteers from various industries, including business, education, healthcare, and many more. Each student will received supportive, constructive feedback to help them improve their confidence and skills in presenting themselves to potential employers, colleges, or apprenticeship providers.

Each 30-minute session will included time for interviewers to review the student’s CV, ask questions about their goals and experiences, and provide personalised feedback to help them improve their confidence and communication skills.

In preparation, students worked on their CVs and practicing common interview questions during Team Time. Personalised feedback from the event will guide them in refining their CVs and building skills for future college, apprenticeship, or job interviews.

This was a fantastic opportunity for students to gain real-world experience, build confidence, and take an important step toward their future success. We plan for this event to occur annually for all Year 10 students.

UK Social Mobility Awards Winners

Trinity Academy Leeds won the UK Social Mobility ‘School/College of the Year’ Award in recognition of our pioneering approach to careers education. The centrepiece of our social mobility work was Empower. We provide all students with insights into a broad range of sectors, including construction, ecology, fine art, literature, history, sustainability, professional services, project management, sustainability, and theatre. Read more in the UK Social Mobility Awards Winners case study report. 

Our TAL careers intentions are to:

• Raise the profile of careers education, information and guidance and ensure all adults are engaged to be able to fully support our students. This will be achieved through Empower Careers Pathways.
• Cultivate an environment that enables students to have aspirational and realistic career goals where students know how to seek out information on how to achieve them.
• Build links with external agencies and providers to ensure students have access to a broad range of learning experiences.
• Foster our Performing Arts and Voice specialisms and provide our students with a wealth of opportunities and experiences available in the arts while developing the Voice of everyone.

The TAL Careers Policy outlines the plan we follow in order to ensure that we meet the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. The Gatsby Benchmarks were developed on behalf of the Gatsby Foundation by Sir John Holman. They define what world class careers provision in education looks like and provide a clear framework for organising the careers provision. The TAL Empower Careers Programme outlines how we will meet the Gatsby Benchmarks.