Whichever pathway a student ultimately chooses — university, apprenticeship, employment or beyond — the same professional skills determine how far they get: how they present themselves, how they communicate, and how they conduct themselves in a real workplace. We build these skills deliberately across both years of sixth form, through real employer contact, structured work experience and the same professional standards we hold students to on site.

This isn't left to chance or squeezed into a single week. Employability is threaded through every aspect of our community including Post 18 Aspire programme, tutor time and enrichment, so that by the time a student submits an application, they have already practised the skills it depends on.

REAL EXPERIENCE, REAL EMPLOYERS - How students build employability

Employability is built through direct experience, not just discussion — supported by a structured programme of preparation before and reflection after each encounter.

 

🏢	In-person Work Experience A full week placed with an employer partner, giving every student direct exposure to a real working environment, workplace expectations and professional conduct before they leave sixth form.

💻	Virtual Work Experience and employer engagement Structured virtual placements and exposure to employers  delivered through Springpod and Unifrog giving students access to sectors and employers — including those outside commuting distance — that a single week in person could not reach.

📝	CV & Application Skills Dedicated support for CV writing, cover letters and application forms, tailored to whichever route a student is pursuing — university, apprenticeship or direct employment.

💬	Communication & Interview Skills Practice interviews, presentation skills and professional communication are built into the our programme, so students walk into a real interview having already rehearsed one.

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Employer Encounters Employers visit at our Directions & Destinations Directions & Destinations exhibition, giving students direct access to people working in the fields they are considering. We also work closely with a range of partners to provide further opportunities in school but also sharing comprehensive opportunities for external employer engagement through Futures Friday, Unifrog and our exciting social media posts.

⭐	Professional Conduct The same standards of attendance,  punctuality, dress, communication and accountability we hold students to on site are the standards employers tell us they value most — so professionalism is practised daily, not just before a placement.

 

WHO WE WORK WITH - Our employer partner network

Over 100 employer partners host, mentor or engage our students each year, spanning law, finance, engineering, medicine, media, policing and the public sector — among them The Guardian, Barclays, Imperial College and St George's. This breadth ensures students encounter workplaces that reflect the full range of their ambitions, not a narrow slice of it.

 

BUILT ON THE SAME FOUNDATION - Connected to every other pathway

Employability skills are not a standalone strand — they are the foundation underneath UCAS applications, apprenticeship interviews, armed services assessment centres and every other route on this site. A student who has stood in front of an employer, written a covering letter and been interviewed for a placement arrives at every one of those moments already prepared.

Careers Leader: pcowell@carshaltonboys.org 

Work Experience Coordinator: Klee@carshaltonboys.org