Repeat of Cover?

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Foreword
There is a general consensus among pupils, parents
and key stakeholders in the community, especially
employers, that schools can play an influential part in
preparing young people for life and also for the world
of work. That is why Education for Employability,
as part of Learning for Life and Work, has become
statutory in the Northern Ireland Curriculum which
was introduced in September 2007.

In the run up to the phasing in of the revised curriculum

CCEA, in partnership with the Education and Library
Boards, has been trailing a whole range of new ideas designed to
assist teachers to implement stimulating, fit-for-purpose and relevant
employability programmes in all our schools. One of the characteristics
of this work is to ensure that there is involvement of employers in the
curriculum particularly at classroom level.

It has been a privilege for CCEA Officers in the Employability Team to

work in an inclusive agenda which addresses the needs of all our young
people. In particular, the teachers in the Special Needs sector have been
inspirational not only in their work setting but also in the ideas they have
brought to make the employability agenda an exciting one.

I commend this resource to you and trust that both you and your young
people enjoy the learning and teaching experiences.

Cecil S Holmes
Programme Manager – Education for Employability

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Contents
Foreword Page 3

Contents Page 5

General Information Page 7

Interpretation of the Statutory Requirement Page 9

Unit 1 Self-awareness Page 13

Unit 2 Identifying and Investigating Jobs Page 37

Unit 3 Why Work? Page 53

Unit 4 The Good Employee Page 65

Unit 5 Decision Making Page 87

Unit 6 Lifelong Learning Page 99

Unit 7 Environmental Considerations Page 111

Unit 8 Local andLearning

Lifelong Global Setting Page 115
??

Unit 9 Enterprise and Considerations

Environmental Entrepreneurship Page 119
??

Acknowledgements Page 133

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General Information
This resource consists of:
- an interpretation of the Statutory Requirement;
- Units of Work;
- Resources.
It has been developed for pupils with
Moderate Learning Difficulties at Key Stage 3.
Further information on this resource is available
from www.nicurriculum.org.uk.
The Curriculum context
The Northern Ireland Curriculum at Key Stage 3
includes the following statutory elements:
• Learning for Life and Work (LLW)
- Citizenship
- Education for Employability
- Personal Development
- Home Economics;
• Areas of Learning;
• Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities
Framework.
It is important to remember that Learning for Life
and Work (LLW) is at the core of the Northern
Ireland Curriculum. Other subjects, activities
and experiences contribute to this central
core, which is considered to be essential
for each individual pupil. All of the work
is underpinned by the Thinking Skills
and Personal Capabilities.
EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYABILITY
KEY STAGE 3 MLD
What it is about
The term Education for Employability, is deliberately
an all-embracing one and is intended to bring some
coherence to the plethora of overlapping terms
and objectives such as: ‘vocational’, ‘work-related
learning’, ‘effective career management’, ‘deployment
of key transferable skills’, ‘creativity’, ‘enterprise’ and
‘entrepreneurship’. Put simply, the school curriculum
can contribute significantly to the development of
young people who feel empowered to be an influence
in the workplace and who are not averse to taking
risks. The emphasis of teaching and learning in your
school should be to encourage pupils:
• to learn how to learn, to think for themselves
and to view learning as a lifelong endeavour;
• to be creative, innovative and empathetic thinkers
in their response to problems and to utilise the
full potential of information and communications
technologies;
• to apply what they are learning to life and work-
related situations.
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Education for Employability, therefore, is not a narrow,
marginal or separate activity. It is central to the
curriculum just as work is central to most people’s
lives. For the purposes of curriculum design and
implementation, CCEA suggests that Education for
Employability incorporates four key dimensions:
• work in the local and global economy;
• career management;
• enterprise and entrepreneurship;
• skills and qualities for work.
The personal dimension,
including career planning
The economic dimension of Education for
Employability is only one of the reasons it has been
included in the Northern Ireland Curriculum. The
skills and qualities needed for work are just as
important for everyday life. Effectively preparing
pupils for the world of work will contribute to their
personal fulfilment as well as to how they achieve
their full potential.
Please note that developing your pupils’ awareness
of changes and opportunities in the local and global
economy is not about economics or business
studies. The whole thrust of this course is to
enable each pupil to begin to plan his or her own
career development on a more informed basis.
EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYABILITY
KEY STAGE 3 MLD
The explicit programme and integration
with other areas of school life
We strongly recommend that you introduce Education
for Employability as an explicit and timetabled course;
• Pupils need to develop a much broader base of
skills, knowledge and understanding, particularly
in relation to career planning, as early as
possible in the post-primary school. This is
because pupils are expected to make decisions
and choices about subjects and/or post-14
education mid-way through Year 10. Despite
the good work that takes place in many schools
at Year 10, it is not sufficient to make well
informed choices. Furthermore, changes in the
curriculum at Key Stage 4 mean a greater variety
and number of courses and qualifications are
now available in the 14 – 19 continuum. Pupils
need to be prepared to consider these.
Aspects of Education for Employability, not necessarily
under that label, have already taken place in the
primary school. It will be important to build on this
excellent work as soon as the pupils reach post-
primary education. Also, while the programme
for Education for Employability is being specifically
timetabled, all other areas of the curriculum
will also contribute to preparing
young people for the world of work.
The knowledge and skills developed
through Areas of Learning will help
pupils to develop the knowledge
and skills needed to lay the
foundations for the world of
work. In addition, participating
in other experiences such as
drama productions and sports
teams will help pupils to
enhance their self-confidence
and ability to work in a team.
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8
Interpretation of the
Statutory Requirement
The Statutory Requirement for Education for Employability at Key Stage 3 has been
interpreted to provide a realistic and relevant programme which will encourage
learning and success for each individual pupil within the specialist MLD sector.
Interpretation of the statutory statements are organised under the specific headings
(eg Work in the Local and Global Economy) and numbered for references alongside
the headings of the specific units eg Unit 1: Self Awareness C1, C8, C9.

WORK IN THE LOCAL CAREER MANAGEMENT AND ENTERPRISE AND

AND GLOBAL ECONOMY
1. Identify and investigate jobs
- in school
- out of school locally/families
- new businesses/ industries
Identify and investigate local
industry
2. Investigate local and global
(i) products
(ii) jobs
3. Technological changes at home
and at work
4. What is a good employee?
- rights
- responsibilities
- health and safety issues
- employer/employee
5. Environmental considerations
- recycling (r, r, r)
- waste
- pollution
6. Investigate how work
organisations contribute
to the community
PERSONAL CAREER PLANNING
1. Self-Awareness and personal
development
(skills and qualities) I am….
I can....
- hobbies and interests
- likes/dislikes
- looking forward/setting
targets
- this is me/about myself
2. Planning forward and setting
targets
3. Why work?
- nature of work
- types of work
4. Patterns of work
- part time, full time,
- temporary, permanent
- job for life
- unemployment
- changes in work style
- what type of work
would I like?
5. Decision Making
- choices
- major/minor choices
- consequences of choices
- responsibility – accepting of
- influences
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
1. What is Enterprising?
- identifying skills
- identifying attributes
- case studies – investigate and
go on visit
- role models – local/well
known
2. How can I be enterprising and
creative? (skills)
3. Being Enterprising and Creative
- the enterprising class
- the enterprising school
- the enterprising business
- past and present
4. What makes an Entrepreneur?
- local examples (perhaps DVD)
- benefits and challenges of
building your own business?
- visit to/from entrepreneur

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Interpretation of the
Statutory Requirement

WORK IN THE LOCAL CAREER MANAGEMENT AND ENTERPRISE AND

AND GLOBAL ECONOMY PERSONAL CAREER PLANNING ENTREPRENEURSHIP

6. Lifelong Learning
- what is needed
- why it is needed

7. Personal Career Plan (PCP)

- simple life plan
- influences
– who, what, why, when?
- attitudes
- interests
- values
- ambitions

Available options – looking at

access to guidance/advice
from the
- school
- family
- external agencies,
eg Careers Officer

Action Plan – regarding

Transition Review

8. Information gathering
– use of ICT resources

9. Communication
- making a presentation
- teamwork
- independent work

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