While the careers programme is primarily the responsibility of the Head of Careers, many other people are involved, including Heads of House, Middle School Tutors, Sixth Form Tutors, The Management Team and Higher Education Co-ordinators. Professional careers advisors support boys from S4 onwards, alongside representatives from universities, colleges and the workplace.
Stewart’s Melville College has an extensive Careers Library and online resources to enable boys to research their chosen careers. There is no substitute for meeting people from various professions when making career choices and boys have extensive opportunities to do so throughout their school careers.
S1: All boys participate in Take Your Son to Work Day, where they are given the opportunity to experience the workplace with one of their parents.
S2: All boys have an hour of Careers PSE with the Head of Careers. In addition, there is a careers afternoon where we invite guests from various professions to meet and be interviewed by the boys. The Head of Careers is also involved at subject-choice time.
S4: Every boy sits a psychometric profiling test, specifically designed by the Morrisby organisation to help with career choices. They are then interviewed by a professional careers advisor. They also have the opportunity to attend our annual Careers Convention which is open to all our senior pupils (S4-S6) and has over 50 representatives from Scottish, English and international universities, as well as various professions and employers.
S5: The boys can attend careers lunches to meet people from different fields of work. Alumni and representatives from universities and professions also give individual talks. In early June, they undertake at least one work-experience placement and support is given to arrange these. If your son studies languages he has the opportunity to take part in work-experience exchanges with pupils from France and Germany. Nearly all our leavers enter Higher Education and we host a Higher Education information evening to help them with this process. For the few boys who do not progress into Higher Education, extensive support is given to help them apply for college or apprenticeships or to explore gap year opportunities. In addition, they receive PSE sessions on careers as well as advice with drafting CVs.
Sixth Form: The advice which students in our co-educational sixth form receive on careers and universities is a great strength of ESMS. This is very much a team effort, with our Higher Education Co-ordinators overseeing the university application process while working closely with the Heads of Careers, the Director of Sixth Form and Sixth Form Tutors. Our students go on to take a huge variety of courses at destinations both in the UK and abroad, as well as receiving advice on non-university options through Further Education and apprenticeships.
We have also introduced ESMS Connect, an online networking platform for S5 and S6 boys and girls and former pupils, allowing them to connect with members of our wider school community for mentoring, support and advice.