CEIAG

Pupils from any year group who would like to discuss their career and learning pathways can make an appointment with a school careers teacher or a Careers service Ni adviser by calling into one of the careers resource rooms or by booking a careers appointment directly with Mr Dempster or Mrs Ferguson.

Teaching staff can also refer individual pupils at times when it is felt that they will particularly benefit from one-to-one careers advice. Parents are very welcome to attend appointments or to contact the Careers department.

All Yr10 and Yr12 pupils will have at least one careers appointment to explore a variety of education and career options and draw up an individual careers action plan to help them make a successful transition to GCSE and Post-16 learning.

Sixth form pupils are welcome to use the Careers Resource rooms and arrange individual guidance appointments during their free periods with prior permission from their Head year or Mr Downey and Mr Connolly (Study Supervisors). Pupils can also have follow-up appointments as necessary.

All pupils are also directed to the National Careers Service where they can access independent on-line and telephone guidance from a National Careers Service adviser. This free service is available daily from 8am-10pm. There is also extensive information and advice on choosing subjects, exploring career ideas, case studies and frequently asked questions on the Young People section of the National Careers Service website (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/careers).

Our well-resourced Careers Resource rooms are open daily from 8.30am to 4.30pm during term time. The resource rooms hold a good range of current university prospectuses and employer information as well as books and magazines on a wide selection of careers and higher education courses.

We also subscribe to a number of online resources where students can access impartial information to help them make informed and realistic career plans. Students are introduced to these packages during careers tutorials.

Passwords to access the following resources can be obtained from Mr D Dempster and Mrs Ferguson.

Eclips contains very clear impartial information on over 1000 careers and has a useful further information section with up to date links to recommended websites for each job.

Careerscape provides impartial information on many careers, education and training options, and includes videos. Use the purple higher education icon which links careers to related university courses.

Heap Online A starting point for research into degree courses available to you depending on your predicted UCAS tariff points

Higher Ideas links A level subjects and career interests to university courses.

Our options processes for both GCSE and Post 16 subject choices will take place during the spring term of each academic year.

GCSE Option 2018

Click on the links below to download

GCSE Options 2019 trifold brochure and return slip –  ERGS-trifold19

GCSE options subject description booklet  – GCSE options Brochure 2019

The majority of our pupils aim to go to University in the UK and there are thousands of courses at hundreds of different Universities. Pupils also apply through the CAO system for the Republic of Ireland. Recently, some our Pupils have accepted offers for competitive courses at European Universities. It is important to start researching well in advance of making an application. Pupils are advised to supplement their on-line research by attending carefully selected university open days or taster courses.

UCAS, the official site for all UK universities and colleges offering Higher education courses, is a good starting point for course research. The site offers guidance on choosing the right course and has links to the websites of all the higher education providers. Applications are made on-line through UCAS Apply and there is a step by step guide on how to apply and track an application. There is information for parents on how to support their children to research and apply for courses and the option to sign up for regular newsletters.

University prospectuses can be viewed on-line. Students can also access prospectuses in our Carers Resource rooms.

The aim of our work experience programme is to give pupils the opportunity to gain an insight into the world of work either to help them with their career choice or to enable them to see the skills and qualifications needed in the modern economy. Lower sixth pupils have the opportunity to undertake a week-long placement in the latter part of the spring term.
There is inevitably competition for places and pupils are encouraged to start the process of finding a placement as early as possible. Pupils will have access to the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School employer database detailing employers who have supported the work experience programme in the past as well as the opportunity to seek wider work placements outside Enniskillen through www.charter-ni.com. Competition for these places is intense and many ask for applications up in advance.

We ask that parents and pupils talk about possible placements and the sort of experience they hopes to engage with. Where parents and pupils have their own contacts for such placements, it would be helpful for them to make an initial enquiry and to keep Mr Dempster informed of any progress made.

The school arranges a variety of events and activities where students can meet representatives from businesses, education, voluntary organisations and former students for inspiration and guidance in a wide range of career areas. Regular events involving external participants include employer talks and university visits as well as practice interviews for every sixth form student.

Our well established Careers and Higher Education Evening, is held. The purpose of this large scale event is to raise awareness of a wide variety of opportunities and to motivate our students to consider a broad and ambitious range of pathways and to work hard to achieve their full potential. We aim to provide something for everyone!

Our Careers Curriculum endeavours to meet the needs of our young people by delivering the statutory requirements of the National Employability Careers Education curriculum, whilst allowing pupils to engage and develop a meaningful Personal Careers Profile (PCP). Pupils will be encouraged to refer to their PCP throughout their education in order to make informed decisions about their future curriculum pathways and careers choices. Each PCP task is designed to reflect individual pupil choices and ideas and actively encourages parental input.