Future Me
Preparing our Students for the World of Work
Academic
About FutureMe
The FutureMe programme at Kirkcudbright Academy is designed to equip our young students with the knowledge and skills to successfully enter employment beyond school. Many of our students go on to University or Further Education, but not all, and FutureME is designed to support those students looking to progress into employment when leaving the Academy.
We want our young adults to be prepared and have the confidence to progress successfully into the workplace. Our students should be ‘future-ready’ with the knowledge and skills required to be successful in whatever career pathway the chose to follow.
The most successful individuals within the workplace of the future will be those who can develop and maintain a set of flexible and transferable skills which inform how to think, how to work, and how to relate to those around us.
In the future, qualifications alone won’t be enough. Success will belong to those who can think critically, lead with kindness, adapt to change, and make confident decisions. FutureME ensures that every Academy Student builds:
• The skills employers value most.
• The awareness to make informed choices.
• The resilience to meet challenges with confidence.
• The character to stand out, for the right reasons.
Future-readiness: Students leave as confident, resilient, and agile individuals ready to make an impact.
Partnership Working
The delivery and success of this programme depends on partnership working involving the following:
• SDS can provide opportunities and advice to students on elements of ‘preparation for employment’ and ‘employability skills’, supporting interview skills and networking opportunities.
• Local Employers are key to the effective delivery of the work experience element by engaging with the provision and assessment of work placement opportunities.
• External Providers, such as ‘Lets Get Employed’, are also key to the delivery of ‘preparation for employment’ and ‘employability skills’, brining ‘real life experiences’ students can relate to.
• Past Pupils, can also provide that real life experiences giving advice around employment opportunities and career pathways.
Programme Delivery
The FutureME programme will be offered to students who have indicated that they may progress into employment rather than further or higher education when leaving the Academy.
This will be a ‘columnised’ offer and students will be guided onto the programme during their Options process at the end of S4.
The programme will be delivered across 6 periods per week with the following elements being delivered across those 6 periods.
1. WORK EXPERIENCE
The work experience element of the programme will be timetabled for 1 afternoon each week with students applying for a work placement in a similar fashion as applying for a job. They will select a placement from a menu of opportunities supplied by local employers, submit a CV and letter of application and attend an interview for selection.
2. PREPARATION FOR EMPLOYMENT
This element of the course will be delivered during 1 double period per week and will involve the students researching employment opportunities matched to their own skills and interests. They will be required to produce and maintain a CV and job application letter for a suitable placement. There will also be a focus on interview skills and networking opportunities with local employers.
3. EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
During the remaining 2 periods students will focus on developing ‘Employability Skills’ such as the use of IT and the developing an ‘online profile’. It will also focus on the areas of financial education and time management skills.
It is envisaged that these elements will be delivered using:
• School Staff.
• SDS and DYW.
• Visiting specialists and local employers.
