Rationale

All young people need work-related learning as an essential part of full preparation for an adult life in which they will contribute to the country’s economic well-being (QCA, WRL, KS4). 

Employers across South Yorkshire identified the need to support the development of young people to be capable of contributing to the local economic development of South Yorkshire raising their awareness of the true opportunities for employment in critical business sectors.  

Research looking at the social attitudes, aspirations and the behaviour of students thought most likely to opt out of further education post 16, has led to the development of the I Choose Vocational Career Pathways.

Purpose

The I CHOOSE programme and library of resources has been developed to:

Provide opportunities for students and teachers to acquire and exchange knowledge, experiences and outcomes, thereby building a coherent approach to the impact of career choices and skills development.

 

)    Position learners in control of their education and make them more positive about their choice of courses.

 

c)  Provide young people with experiences to develop skills appropriate to work in local priority industries, as well as lifelong learning and employability.

 

d)  Engage employers in working with young people, and their teachers/lecturers, to develop skills necessary for labour market success.

 

e)  Create stronger links between education and employment to boost learner confidence in the value of work based / work related qualifications.

 

f)   Support those parents and carers whose negative employment experiences and aspirations have led to poor perceptions of the value of qualifications.