With the use of Xello over the past few months, students have been able to complete work to help them determine their strengths, their career potential, different pathways needed to get there, their learning styles and personalities.

In return, this has highlighted possible directions and given them the chance to look at opportunities that have previously not been on their radar, giving them a way to think outside the box.

Students have had the opportunity to see that people do not always take the traditional and expected career path to get to their role in the area they are interested in, highlighting the traditional path is not always required.

Students have also visited future choices, such as local colleges, to get a feel of the place, what they have to offer, the environment around them, and how it may or may not work for them.

For example, Construction: 

Skills required to work in construction may include:

• Communications skills
• Teamwork
• Organisation
• The ability to work under pressure
• Problem-solving

Routes to get there:

• Vocational route such as T–levels, BTECs or NVQs
• Apprenticeships
• The more traditional path of A-levels

We looked at the subjects that would help support this and the requirements needed.

Using examples such as Maths and English, highlighting their use and where they are valuable.

With all this in mind, we discussed the colleges they had applied for, and possible other colleges, to help keep their options open.

For many of our students, the next phase of their life is a daunting prospect, and everything we can do to help this transition is reinforced in the careers we offer to our students.

To help support this, we have been able to help them with a virtual career fair, where they are able to hear from students and career specialists about the different paths they can take.