Hertfordshire Careers Hub and HFL Education are teaming up once again to host a Teacher Encounter workshop on 19 October 2023, to support schoolteachers looking to learn more about careers relating to Business Administration.

Local employers with related entry level positions, and schools offering business related courses (including those considering offering T Levels), are invited to take part. Please contact suki.gill@hfleducation.org for more information.

The workshop is the second in a series, part-funded by The Careers & Enterprise Company. It follows a highly successful inaugural event held at Computacenter in Hatfield on 29 June, which gave IT and Computing teachers from a range of schools a chance to learn about the demands of local employers and the opportunities that exist for young people studying their subject.

The event included a presentation from The Association of Colleges and School Leaders, an overview of Hertfordshire’s jobs market, a demonstration of the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal (HOP) and Unifrog, with information on how they can support curriculum delivery, and talks from local employers including the NHS and Computacenter.

Vicki Smith, Digital Application Support and Training Manager at the NHS, said: “It is understandable that many teachers and students are not aware of the vast number of digital possibilities that exist within the NHS. Being able to speak with IT and Computing teachers was invaluable as it helped get across the key messages that we want relayed to students.”

Chintan Patel, IT Teacher at The Adeyfield School, Hemel Hempstead, said: “It’s very easy to get bogged down by day-to-day teaching challenges and to lose sight of the amazing local careers opportunities that our students need to know about. I have learned so much throughout the day but now feel far more confident and empowered to have meaningful conversations with my students about their next steps.”

Denise Manning, who works in the Careers Department at The Queens School, Bushey, said: “This day was excellent – all our teachers would benefit from hearing from local employers in this sort of interactive environment. Supporting our staff to deliver credible careers guidance is so important as it will help our students take the best possible next steps. They rely on their teachers to provide them with this sort of information and guidance, so I’d definitely recommend that other teachers register to attend future sessions”.

Teacher Encounter workshops form part of Hertfordshire Careers Hub’s strategic plan, with the Hub’s annual teacher survey on apprenticeships and technical education (2022) revealing that while 88% of respondents have frequent conversations with students about careers, teachers often lack the confidence and knowledge to discuss local employers relevant to their subject area.

Gareth Dace, Careers Hub Strategic Lead at Hertfordshire LEP, said: “We’re working to ensure our schools and colleges can empower Hertfordshire’s young people with the skills and knowledge they need to secure meaningful employment post-education. Connecting teachers with local employers is vital, and we encourage more schools and businesses to proactively get involved.”

Businesses and schools: email suki.gill@hfleducation.org to register your interest for the Business Administration Teacher Encounter workshop on 19 October.