Careers

SDS Careers support for pupils

All pupils in Scotland are entitled to access careers guidance, information and advice throughout their school journey.

This includes:

•      A guaranteed 1-2-1 chat with a careers adviser when they need it to help them feel confident about their next steps

•      Extra help at key decision points like choosing subjects or preparing to leave school

•      Group sessions and online tools to help explore career ideas and discover possibilities

•      Ongoing support even after they leave Mearns Academy if they need it

The entitlement to careers support starts from their P7/S1 transition and carries on through S2-S6.

Career Management Skills:

“At their heart, career management skills are about happiness. We want people working in Scotland to be happy, fulfilled and realising their potential. Developing career management skills builds up a knowledge not only of who you are and what you’re good at, but what you want to work towards next and who can help you to take those steps.”

Careers conversations primarily focus on helping pupils to develop their Career Management Skills (CMS). This approach follows four key themes:

Self – Achieving a clear understanding of who you are, what is important to you and how you fit into the world around you.

Strengths – Developing an understanding of what you’re good at and how you can use your strengths.

Horizons – Learning to visualise, plan and achieve career aspirations throughout your entire working life.

Networks – Understanding the importance of work and social relationships in building your career.

My World of Work:

The My World of Work website provides additional support to pupils to help them think about future career paths and prepare for their next steps. It’s free to register and has a range of tools and information to help users explore their skills, strengths, and interests and how these relate to future opportunities. From option choices to interview preparation, there’s something for every stage of the career planning journey.

SDS Careers support for leavers

For those planning to leave school, the SDS Careers Adviser can provide support to develop a plan for moving on. This could include exploring future options, applying to college, finding apprenticeship roles, or accessing training opportunities.

Ongoing 1-2-1 careers support is available to pupils who leave school without a confirmed college, training, or employment opportunity, or who are unable to sustain their original post-school destination.

Useful links

College and University:

UCAS

North East Scotland College

Dundee and Angus College

SAAS Funding

Apprenticeships and trainee role:

Apprenticeships.scot

Jobs portal | Find your first job after school - DYW

Training and employment support:

Skills Training Network

Employment Connect – Aberdeenshire

Employability Services – Angus

General:

Skills Development Scotland – Careers Services

Developing the Young Workforce - DYW

Young Persons Guarantee