U-Explore’s online careers platform designed to connect 11-18 year olds with their future career potential.
At a glance
- A free and wide-ranging, dyslexic-friendly digital platform focused on careers and employability
- A structured programme of activities tailored to each year group
- Packed with student activity data and reports
- Gives students the ability to record and evidence the development of their achievements and employability skills
- A navigational programme that builds adaptability and resilience from education to employment
Great careers education is crucial for young people – yet when the State of the Nation 2017 report looked at how close 600 schools were to the eight ‘Gatsby benchmarks’, describing best practice, incredibly, more than 20% were not meeting any of them.
In fact, on average, schools are only meeting 1.87 of the benchmarks – which means many students aren’t getting the information, advice and guidance they need.
It clearly shouldn’t be this way, especially when relevant, engaging and purposeful provision is readily available, and for free too.
One incredible source of support comes via U-Explore, a leading careers guidance company, and creators of the highly impressive Start software, which is mapped to the Gatsby benchmarks.
When you log in to Start you will find yourself on a landing page called Teacher View, where you can access a wide range of tools and resources to give you the authority, knowledge and skills you need for developing a wealth of careers education activities to support your students.
Start provides students with a solid structure so they can organise and coordinate their careers research, and build their own profile for showcasing and expressing who and what they are and where they want to be.
They can discover more about jobs searching via subject, skill or interest, and explore by employer and industry where jobs are brought to life through videos and local labour market information.
They can also find out what to study, where to learn, and access a brilliant Employability Section crammed with tips, tools, information and practical skills examples including making job applications and attending interviews.
Start gives students insights into work matched to their personal preferences, qualities and interests. As they interact with the site their profile is updated, and the software tailors this information to point them in the direction of jobs, courses and opportunities.
It also hand picks exciting and relevant experiences for them to get involved in. Students can keep valuable records of their achievements in an online Locker, and set career goals in their own timelined My Action Plan folder.
Schools must meet all eight Gatsby benchmarks by the end of 2020 and so I’d waste no time at all in registering for this gold-standard resource.
Verdict
- Helps you meet and surpass statutory duties around careers guidance
- Superb structure, job profiling and online achievement features
- Guides students throughout the options process at key moments of choice – GCSE, Post 16 and Post 18
- Raises aspirations, tackles stereotypes and promotes equality of access to all career pathways
- Develops the skills and outlook needed for career well-being
- Provides labour market information based on real-world data
Register if…
you are looking to embed a high-quality, best practice and comprehensive careers programme that is personalised and inspiring for every student.
Find out more about Start, and register for free, at startprofile.com.
Reviewed by John Dabell
