Middle School Careers Programme

Opportunities don’t happen, you create them. 

– Chris Grosser

 

At Dubai College, we are dedicated to creating opportunities for our students to explore and discover careers. Our focus for middle school is to provide students with a wide range of opportunities in Year 10, which they can then use to narrow down their interests in Year 11 and beyond. All students have access to a weekly careers bulletin that offers tips and advice on employability and career choices.

Year 10

We organise a speed networking event for our students. This event brings together a diverse group of volunteers who engage in discussions with groups of Year 10 students about their professions. The aim is to introduce students to the multitude of career options available to them, broadening their horizons and encouraging them to aim high. Two volunteers are assigned to each table, where they interact with six Dubai College students from Year 10. They have a short amount of time to discuss their careers, how they reached their current positions, and answer any questions. Afterwards, they move on to the next table. Our volunteers come from various industries, sharing insights about their roles, career journeys, and offering valuable advice for the future. Year 10 students get the opportunity to hear from professionals in different fields before focusing more specifically in Year 11.

They also have access to guest speakers and alumni who share their career journeys, participate in career-related RPEP (Rolling Positive Education Programme) lessons, and are introduced to the Unifrog careers and university platform. Each student is provided with unique login details to track their progress on their personal career discovery journey.

Year 11

All students have a one-on-one consultation with a member of staff to discuss their post-16 options and career aspirations. This allows students to think more clearly about their choices and what they would like to pursue before selecting their A-level subjects. We also host a Year 11 careers evening where students have the opportunity to engage with alumni volunteers and industry experts who provide insights into their careers and the day-to-day aspects of their work. This event is more focused than the speed networking in Year 10, and students are encouraged to choose three main areas of interest to explore further. Year 11 students also benefit from careers-related RPEP sessions on using Unifrog and Career Identity. They gain access to the Dubai College careers directory and have the opportunity to hear from journey speakers and alumni who visit the school to share their experiences.

These initiatives build upon the foundations established in lower school and allow for continued career exploration throughout Key Stage 5 and beyond.