Careers

Bloomfield Collegiate School understands that every pupil needs high-quality careers guidance that is future-focused and personalised to help them make informed decisions in a world of constantly changing patterns of work and education. Our girls learn strategies that will equip them to plan and manage their learning and career pathways at and beyond school.

There are many careers events held throughout the year.

Year 11 pupils had fun making bracelets and the Year 8 pupils discovered that behind the scenes Bloomfield is more than just a school. Year 10 pupils attended an event around success skills as part of their Year 10 Futures Day where they learnt about the need to be flexible in order to be successful in the future world of work. This day finished with individual interviews for each pupil supported by their teachers. Another highlight was the Year 12 trip to the Titanic Tent where they attended the “Skills Event”.

On Friday 6th June 2017, three teams of six Year 9 pupils competed in the IET Faraday Young Engineers (STEM) challenge along with teams from Campbell College and Lagan College. Pupils were selected according to their summer examination performances in Physics, Mathematics and Technology and Design.

During this experience, we improved on our teamwork skills, generating ideas, coding skills and money management. We had to come up with design ideas to help improve the America’s Cup boats using microbit coding systems. We were given a series of instructions to work through within certain time limits. We then had to make prototypes of two of our ideas, program them with our code and then present these prototypes to the members of the other teams.

Our ideas ranged from athlete performance to wind and boat performance data collection. We listened carefully to what the other teams had to say and had open minds for any of their new ideas. It was a tough challenge but a memorable day.

Jessica McMullen & Amy Mitchell

Bloomfield Collegiate aims to facilitate pupils to develop the skills and confidence to make the most of their life choices and follow the career path that suits them best.

This will be delivered through the 6 strands of Careers Education Information Advice and Guidance; which are:

1. Careers education
2. Career Planning
3. Employability Skills
4. Work Related Learning
5. Careers Information
6. Careers advice and guidance

Our aim is that all pupils will:

• Develop the appropriate skills to become effective career decision-makers.

• Have a clear understanding of the impact of their education, training and employment choices. Making career choices that are informed, thoroughly researched, based on self-awareness, and show an understanding of the relevance of their education, skills and experience and an awareness of the opportunities and pathways available to them.

• Be lifelong learners and be motivated to pursue continuous professional development to achieve their own potential, to become effective employees who will make a valuable contribution to the local economy.

• Have developed information-handling skills and be aware of career opportunities locally, nationally and internationally.

• Have developed the skills to plan their career, and manage planned and unplanned career change.

• Have access to good quality careers education provision, up-to-date labour market information, and impartial careers information, advice and guidance, to assist them to make well informed career choices and to achieve their potential.

• Have access to modern, inspiring, fit for purpose facilities to provide access to relevant information, up-to-date careers assessment tools and professional, impartial guidance and support as required.

• Have the use of technology to support access to relevant online information, advice and guidance.

Departmental Aims

Aim 1: Self-Awareness and Development- identifying, assessing and developing the skills and qualities necessary to choose and implement an appropriate career plan.
Aim 2: Career Exploration – acquiring and evaluating information, and reviewing experiences to identify and investigate appropriate career pathways and learning opportunities in education, training and employment, locally, nationally and internationally.
Aim 3: Career Management – developing skills in career planning, and employing effective career decision-making strategies to manage transition and make suitable career development choices, with the appropriate support, advice and guidance.