Careers Reward for Hillside Secure Centre

Hillside Secure Centre has made the grade after becoming one of only a handful of schools in South Wales to receive the prestigious Careers Wales Mark.

The accolade, which recognises a commitment to continuous quality improvement within an educational institution, was awarded to Hillside Secure Centre for its dedication and enthusiasm in preparing and supporting young people entering the world of work or continuing in education.

Working alongside the team at Careers Wales, Hillside staff carried out an audit of the careers and world of work curriculum and identified areas for improvement. From this they developed a plan, so that learners have the necessary knowledge of progression routes and are fully equipped with the skills needed to enter the workplace.

As a result of the new development plan, all students at Hillside Secure Centre have been given the opportunity to explore the role of enterprise and gain an understanding of entrepreneurship. Pupils have developed an understanding of the world of work through work focused activities. They have learnt how to write an application form and a CV. They have also prepared for an interview and been interviewed by an employer.  Pupils can now confidently use careerswales.com to research their career ideas and understand the importance of using Labour Market Information when deciding what career path to follow.

The new measures will help to prepare and support pupils for a successful transition into work, training or further education and help reduce the number of young people potentially becoming unemployed.

At the presentation of the Careers Wales Mark to the school, Dave Tiddy, Education Manager at Hillside said:

“We introduced careers to our timetable and have created a scheme of work and lesson plans following the guidance of the careers and the world of work curriculum. Through the continued support of Careers Wales, we have developed an effective programme of study for our learners at Hillside that prepares them for employment and dealing with the challenges and processes within the world of work.

“When completing the careers mark we have made a number of links with local agencies and businesses and now have a Careers Adviser from Careers Wales who meets regularly with the young people.  We have enjoyed completing the mark as a centre and are very proud that we have achieved the mark and the work that has gone into it will benefit our learners in their future.”

Speaking of the school’s achievement, Richard Spear, Chief Executive of Careers Wales, said:

“This is an excellent achievement and a clear demonstration that young people in Hillside Secure Centre are receiving the support they need to help them find out about and prepare for the world of work as well as helping them to make realistic informed decisions about their future.”

For further information on the Careers Wales Mark visit www.careerswales.com or call 0300 123 3833 to speak with your regional Careers and World of Work Co-ordinator.