Careers at Okehampton College

Okehampton College believes that good career guidance is critical if young people are to lead a life of choice and opportunity. Okehampton College understands that every young person needs high-quality career guidance to make informed decisions about their future. We aim to raise awareness and confidence, increase motivation and broaden horizons. We help the students to look at preparing themselves for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences they will encounter at school, in further education, and in working life so that all young people can thrive.

The Department for Education has updated its guidance and advice for schools, independent careers guidance must be provided in schools in England to all students in years 8 — 13.

It must be provided in an impartial manner — no bias or favouritism towards a particular education or work option.
It should explore the range of education or training options — including apprenticeships and other vocational pathways.
Advice should promote the students’ best interests.

The Gatsby Benchmarks that we follow at Okehampton College are a framework of 8 guidelines that define the best careers provision in schools and colleges. Gatsby welcomes the release of the new government careers strategy and its adoption of the Gatsby Career Benchmarks.

The eight Gatsby Benchmarks of good Career Guidance are:

Benchmark		Description
1. A stable careers programme	Every school and college should have an embedded programme of career education and guidance that is known and understood by pupils, parents, teachers and employers.
2. Learning from career and labour market information	Every pupil, and their parents, should have access to good-quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities. They will need the support of an informed adviser to make best use of available information.
3. Addressing the needs of each pupil	Pupils have different career guidance needs at different stages. Opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil. A school’s careers programme should embed equality and diversity considerations throughout.
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers	All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. For example, STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths.
5. Encounters with employers and employees	Every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
6. Experiences of workplaces	Every pupil should have first-hand experiences* of the workplace through work visits, work shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities, and expand their networks.
7. Encounters with further and higher education	All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them. This includes both academic and vocational routes and learning in schools, colleges, universities and in the workplace.
8. Personal guidance	Every pupil should have opportunities for guidance interviews with a careers adviser, who could be internal (a member of school staff) or external, provided they are trained to an appropriate level. These should be available whenever significant study or career choices are being made. They should be expected for all pupils but should be timed to meet their individual needs.

At Okehampton College, all students are provided with a planned and effective careers education program of lessons and activities to translate inspiration from the workplace into motivation in the classroom to help them make decisions and plan their careers, both in School and after they leave.

Careers education information and guidance (CEIAG) in the College aims to enable pupils to access impartial information, advice and guidance to help them make successful choices, manage transitions in learning and move into the workplace.

Careers education is vital in raising the aspirations and expectations of all pupils as well as developing pupils’ employability and promoting equality of opportunity with it being accessible to all pupils.

Commitment
Okehampton College is committed to providing a planned programme of impartial and accurate careers education information and guidance for all pupils in Years 7-13 in partnership with the Careers South West Enterprise (CSW), Unifrog and Futuresmart.
If you are a parent, carer or local business who would like to get involved in supporting the careers education of our students, then please do get in touch. This could be through our work experience programmes, work shadowing opportunities, workshops or mock interviews. I am keen to work with local providers in order to strengthen our careers provision at Okehampton College and to improve the skills base of young people coming into the local workforce.

Unifrog at Okehampton College

At Okehampton College, we are committed to helping every student find their best next step. That’s why we use Unifrog, the complete destinations platform that supports students in making informed choices about their futures.

What is Unifrog?

Unifrog is an award-winning online platform that brings together all the tools students need to explore career pathways, compare university and apprenticeship options, and build outstanding applications. It’s a one-stop shop for planning life after school.

Why We Use It

Unifrog helps our students to:

Explore Careers: Discover job roles, required qualifications, and real-world insights.
Compare Courses: Search and compare university degrees, apprenticeships, and college courses in the UK and abroad.
Build Applications: Write CVs, personal statements, and keep track of applications.
Track Progress: Record activities, skills, and achievements throughout their time at Okehampton College.

Who Can Use It?

Unifrog is available to all students from Year 7 to Year 13, as well as staff and parents. It supports every stage of the journey—from early career exploration to final applications.

How to Log In

Go to www.unifrog.org
Click Sign In
Use your Okehampton College email address
First time logging in? Use the sign-up code provided by your tutor or careers advisor.

Support and Guidance

Our staff are fully trained to support students in using Unifrog effectively. If you need help accessing the platform or want to learn more, please contact:

Mrs Skelton – Vice Principal and Careers Lead