Decision making tools and techniques Jenny Barber, Career Ready

Decision making Autumn term is a critical decision making time for year 13 students Breadth of options but how well do students understand what these mean to them? Have they ruled out options based on limited information and reflection? Have they chosen only what they do know about – and ignored what they don’t know about? How much is their own family background, expectations, aspirations limiting their choices?

A feature is a description of the opportunity A benefit is an outcome of the opportunity Features and Benefits Professional qualifications included More attractive to employers More employable Not just theoretical - practical application = more valuable in the workplace

On the job experience General qualification Progression within framework Earn as you learn Employer recognition Structured Professional qualifications Skill specific to job role Apprenticeships

Higher level skills and knowledge Broad additional activities Student experience Academic focus for 3 years + Graduate jobs Student loans/fees Entry to specific careers Recognised by employers Traditional degree

Limited/no studying Working alongside professionals Professional from day one Salary Skill specific to job role Unstructured or flexible progression Starting career immediately Some possible training Job

On the job experience Professional - not student Possible progression Earn as you learn Employer recognition Structured Professional qualifications Skill specific to job role School Leaver Programmes

Pros and cons Be aware of personal bias You role is help them help them to make sense of the features and whether these may be pros or cons – not whether you think they are pros or cons Get students to focus not just on the immediate pros but on the long term benefit

Simple method Standard pros and cons list for each option Extrapolate more cons for one pro Add a value: + (1- 5) (5 being strongly favourable) against pros Add a value: - (1-5) (1 being mildly unfavourable) against cons Add up scores in each column Subtract total cons from total pros = overall positive result or overall negative result? Useful way to help young people order pros and cons and understand weighting criteria

What if ….? What will happen if I do it? What will not happen if I do it? What will not happen if I don’t do it? What will happen if I don’t do it?

What if I progress to university to complete a degree in physiotherapy rather than the trainee route?? What will happen if I do it? Qualified in three years Employable What will not happen if I do it? I won’t be earning money from day one Will I get a job upon graduation? What will not happen if I don’t do it? I won’t get student experience I won’t be at the same point as my peers What will happen if I don’t do it? Longer qualification period Have a job – no competition for job

Option one Progression roundabout Option two Option four Option five Option six Option seven Option three Student

Two final points…. Be comfortable in challenging their intended progression route in a supportive and constructive way  What does September 2017 look like if you do not achieve your results?  How else can you get to your intended career outcome? Ask students to find out as part of their research and decision making process:  Alumni of school leaver programmes, apprenticeships and degree programmes  Statistics on progression from apprenticeship programmes and length of stay within firm