Tag Archives: Enterprise

CfE and Employers

Many people ask how business and employers are reacting to Curriculum for Excellence, which is why I thought it was worth sharing the press release below from Scottish Government on this very issue:

NEW CURRICULUM WILL HELP GROW THE SCOTTISH ECONOMY

Big business backs changes to Scottish curriculum

Scottish businesses have backed changes implemented to the school curriculum saying it will help attract investment in Scotland and ultimately grow the economy. The new Curriculum for Excellence has been rolled out in all nursery, primary and secondary schools across the country since August. It aims to raise standards of learning and teaching, building on the strengths of the Scottish education system, and ensuring it’s relevant to the skills required for life and work in the 21st century.

Lauren McNicol, policy executive at CBI Scotland, said Curriculum for Excellence will deliver young people with the skills employers need for the future. She said: “Investment in learning and skills is vital if Scotland is to prosper and continue to attract investment and businesses from other parts of the UK and from overseas.
“We support the aspirations of Curriculum for Excellence which will develop four critical capacities central to the ability of businesses to grow the Scottish economy –employability skills such as problem solving, communications, teamwork.

“In particular, we recognise and support the aims of Determined to Succeed and expect that enterprise and enterprising education will be sustained within the framework of Curriculum for Excellence.”

Curriculum for Excellence places a focus on literacy and numeracy with all teachers now responsible for both within their own subjects. It also encourages teachers to make links with the real world to make learning more relevant with the world outside the classroom.

Employers regularly say their top five requirements in new recruits are literacy and numeracy skills, good communication skills, time management and problem solving abilities – all skills Curriculum for Excellence will help raise standards in.

New qualifications, the National 4 and 5, are also being developed to reflect the way the new curriculum is taught, and will offer pupils, parents and employers a streamlined system which is easier to understand. These will be implemented in 2013/14.

Banking giant HSBC employs more than 3,000 people across Scotland. Terry McKechnie, regional services manager is responsible for recruiting staff across the bank’s network of branches. He believes the changes will help young people link theory and knowledge with the hands-on skills also required in the work place.
He said: “From an employer’s perspective, I welcome the approach to learning taken by the new Curriculum for Excellence as it aims to give practical application to academic learning, which I think is extremely valuable.

“For us it’s extremely important that applicants can demonstrate the ability to listen and take on new information, as well as having good communication skills, to allow them to disseminate information to both customers and colleagues. Teamwork naturally plays a big part in this and is another key skill we look for.

“Beyond academic achievements, I like to see attributes such as integrity and tenaciousness and regularly look for involvement in a broad range of extra-curricular activities, such as volunteering. I believe this is extremely desirable as it shows the applicant has demonstrated a willingness to broaden their life experiences.”

The UK’s largest power network, EDF Energy, is also behind the changes. Paul Winkle, station director of Torness Power Station said: “At EDF Energy we look for candidates who show commitment and have an enthusiastic approach to development. Numeracy and literacy are important skills in all careers, but we are also looking for young people who understand the world they live in and strive for excellence.

“We need young people who have respect for individuals and their environment and are interested in leading the energy change.”

Internationally renowned educationalist have also hailed Curriculum for Excellence as a model for other countries to follow. Richard Gerver and Eric Booth have described Scotland as a world leader in creative education.

Recognising Excellence in Enterprise

Professional Recognition

Have you been involved in enterprise at your school? Do you deserve to be recognised? Why not apply for the The Certificate of Professional Recognition in Enterprise in Education?

The Certificate of Professional Recognition was developed by the General Teaching Council. Through the GTC, a teacher can receive recognition for expertise and experience in a number of areas within teaching and, if successful, can be professionally recognised for their work. The certificate lasts for 5 years, after which you can reapply if you still have an interest in your subject area.

In addition, the process is part of the Professional Development continuum for teachers and will offer a first step into the Standard for Chartered Teacher and other qualifications.

Interested? Please find links below to the completed leaflet for the Certificate of Recognition, the template for application and an exemplar (please note that the exemplar comes from a PT Enterprise and is very comprehensive. This would not necessarily be the norm – advice available here at the General Teaching Council Scotland website).

Labour Market Information

BtC3

Building the Curriculum 3 states that all children and young people are entitled to experience opportunities to move into positive and sustained destinations beyond school. In order to assist with this, it is important that we are informed of the opportunities which are available to our children and young people. The purpose of this post is to highlight some of the information which is out there already but you may not be aware of.

East Lothian Statistics

Buzz

The East Lothian Economic Development Division publish a bulletin called ‘Buzz: Developing a Modern East Lothian’. This contains lots of information regarding businesses in East Lothian and a summary of Key Economic Indicators and Labour Demand Statistics (latest below). Alternatively you can download the more detailed Labour Market Bulletin. Click here to go to the Support for Businesses Downloads page.

East Lothian Summary Labour Demand Statistics

Edinburgh Statistics

Edinburgh - Labour Market Watch Q4 2009

Obviously, many of our young people will be looking to Edinburgh for positive & sustained destinations. Edinburgh Council also provide similar information. They have Labour Demand summaries on their webpage (latest below) and they also publish a bulletin called ‘Labour Market Watch’.

Edinburgh Labour Market Information

SDS Statitistics

Skills Development Scotland publish a School Leaver Destination Return & Skills Intervention Activity Reports by region which contains lots of information regarding what happens to our school leavers. You can download the latest of these here.

SDS School Leaver Destinations East Lothian December 2009

While all of this information may have been of interest to enterprise coordinators in the past, as enterprise becomes embedded within CfE, it’s important that more of us keep any eye on this information to assist our young people make informed decisions for their futures.

Employer Engagement Training

The event held at Quay Complex in Musselburgh last session was very successful so it is intended to run a similar training event on Wednesday 3rd February 2010, again at the Quay Complex. The course starts at 9am (coffee from 8.45) and will finish at 12. Cover costs for the half day should come from schools’ DtS funds.

To book a place at this event please e-mail the Staff Development Team (staffdevelopment.ecs@eastlothian.gov.uk) quoting reference ECS373.

Deadline for booking is the 18th January 2010.