Help shape Scottish Careers Week 2024
A national campaign that shines a light on the life changing support offered by Scotland’s career services will return with the launch of Scottish Careers Week from 11 to 15 November.
Shape the Future
Delivered through the theme ‘Shape the Future’, the campaign highlights that great career support helps people find their passion and thrive.
Co-ordinated by Skills Development Scotland, the campaign is now in its fourth year and has continued to grow. In 2023, hundreds of events took place across the country in schools, career centres, communities and many other venues.
Set against a backdrop of the ever-changing world of work, new technology and the need to develop the right skills, Scottish Careers Week showcases partnerships helping people of all ages make positive education and career choices to shape their future.
Schools, employers, career practitioners and supporters can get involved this year to celebrate the power of career support, showcase exciting industries and opportunities, including green careers, and help shape a brighter future for everyone.
Launching the 2024 campaign, Higher and Further Education Minister Graeme Dey said: “Scottish Careers Week presents a focused opportunity for everyone involved in supporting people to shape their futures, to come together and highlight the wide range of help, services and opportunities that are available.
“Whilst promoting Scotland’s careers offering is an all year round job, Careers Week is our annual showcase and I would encourage wholesale participation in it.”
Get involved
For those who want to back the campaign, Skills Development Scotland has created an online hub on My World of Work featuring ideas on how to get involved, with free resources.
Employers can use the week as a platform to attract the talent of tomorrow and shape the future of their industry.
With jobs in demand across many sectors, Scottish Careers Week is a great opportunity to provide career inspiration and encourage people to explore exciting roles and pathways into an industry.
Businesses can connect with schools using Marketplace on the My World of Work website, which acts as an online noticeboard for employers to offer their time in various ways, such as a class talk or challenge, workplace visit, career and apprenticeship event, skills session or mock interview.
Employers can also organise their own events, attend local career fairs or promote their industry skills by profiling different employees on social media.
Classroom resources
For schools, Scottish Careers Week is a way to spark career inspiration, make connections with local employers, and explore exciting opportunities for pupils.
With an SDS Careers Adviser and DYW Coordinator in every state secondary school in Scotland, school careers teams are ready to help shape impactful events, tailored for students.
There’s also a whole range of online resources already available on My World of Work that can be used in the classroom during the week, including lesson plans for Classroom Clash, which are a series of nine fun, digital games aimed at P6 to S3 pupils.
In addition to Marketplace, schools can also request speakers and support for events through services such as Founders4Schools, whilst online talks from people working in Scotland’s growing industries will be available through the DYW Live platform.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will also be organising a range of national and local activities through its career service offer and with partners such as the British Deaf Association, parents and carers organisation Connect and Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
Head of Career Information Advice and Guidance Operations at SDS, Dave McCallum said: “As the national skills body delivering Scotland’s careers service in schools, in the community and online, we want people to know that career support is available year-round, across all communities and ages.
“During Scottish Careers Week, we hope to bring together as many partners and organisations as possible to raise the profile of those services, so that people know there is help and support to make the right career choices.”
Visit www.myworldofwork.co.uk/scottish-careers-week to find out how to get involved, download the resources and register your events and activities.