Links Multi Academy Trust

Careers

Careers Through Links

At Links Academy, we believe in empowering our students with the skills and knowledge necessary for their future careers. We encourage our students to explore their interests and career paths throughout their time here.

How does Links Academy assist students with their next steps?

Planned transition is an important part of our work at Links Academy. We carefully consider all possible options with each individual and their strengths and future aspirations in mind. Some students have successfully returned to mainstream schools. Whilst a majority have transitioned successfully into mainstream colleges, others have opted for apprenticeships or the world of work. We work hard to try to ensure that the next move is at the right level and enables the students to build on the success they have experienced with us.

I’m not in Year 11, what I do when I leave is not important to me yet

We consider transition from the moment students join, however young they may be, so we can build students’ confidence and social skills through working on areas of need identified in the Hertfordshire Skills Framework such as motivation, respect, resilience, organisation and teamwork. We do this by offering a programme of extended work experience, supported as necessary. We monitor the impact of this. As a recognised and accredited ACE Character School we work relentlessly to promote our 3R’s, Respect, Resilience and Responsibility. Building character and preparing our young people for their futures are inextricably linked.

Apart from my teachers, who else will help me decide what to do?

On a practical level, we work closely with Services for Young People to ensure we ‘tap into’ students’ interests to find the right work experience placement, college course and environment for success. We liaise with professionals, parents/carers and, most importantly, our students to determine the next step. We are supported by additional partners who include the Careers and Enterprise Company, who are all equally committed to helping to raise the aspirations of our students and secure the best outcomes for each of them, on an individual basis. Within our timetabled provision, we ensure there is dedicated cross- curricula careers time.

What experiences will help me decide what to do when I leave school?

Most of our students have experienced much change in their young lives and struggle to cope with any changes as a result. To try to proactively address this we try to source every available opportunity to prepare them for the next phase of their lives. We support students by providing courses and experiences with colleges/alternative placements/employers work experience, multiple taster days and supported visits during which we share all the relevant information on every student’s strength and weaknesses with our professional colleagues. We try to involve our parents/carers in this as much as possible, so they can support the management of impending significant change.