Professional Skills Passport Brockhill Park Performing Arts College

Purpose To introduce and formalise the importance of employability skills to students at Brockhill To provide a mechanism for them to record how they:- Acquired, Developed and Improved their skills.

Benefits The Professional Skills passport will:- ◦ Provide opportunities to develop vital SOFT skills that employers are looking for. ◦ Recognise the valuable work and skills that the students current courses of study can offer them. ◦ Give them confidence to present themselves in a positive way to employers.

To be successful Students need… Employability Skills Leadership Analysis Initiative Decision making Writing & speaking Self reliance Co-operation adaptability Planning & organising To learn new skills Listening skills

Other developments To support the passport concept we have developed a range of opportunities outside of the traditional curriculum to help support students at Post 16 with opportunities to acquire the skills needed for Employment or University.

2 such examples of these are…. Both apprenticeships and Gap offer BPPAC a way to motivate learners, and reduce NEETS. Both routes are proving positive in developing aspiration and channelling learners to discover what they want to do next.

Apprenticeships: BPPAC looking to become a provider in partnership with current providers, making our Post 16 offer more diverse. WE are Currently pursuing these links and establishing employers in our region who will join us in the training of the apprentices.

Current developments are around a number of frameworks including: Construction Engineering Retail Business and Admin ICT pro Live Events and promotion Arts Administration Health and Social care LTAs

BPPAC as an employer We currently employ 4 apprentices and are supported financially with 3 of those apprentices from Shepway District Council through an employers incentive grant. We are working with Lewisham College to deliver two administrative apprenticeships - Live Events and promotion and Arts Administration and with Profile Training, Broadstairs to deliver LTA apprenticeships. All apprenticeships are at level 3. We have found this to be a positive development for those students achieving A level and not wanting to go to University.

Gap: Now in its 6th year Gap provides learners without a planned pathway or destination to spend a year "volunteering" within the school context to develop employability skills through a number of routes: Teaching assistants, Community Arts work, Technical theatre etc.. All Gap students contribute to the wider community through planned for projects with our primary feeder schools.

Gap students receive a nominal bursary as an incentive. Gap can be Full time, or part of a Year 14 programme of study, or part time whilst students pursue other employment. Gappers complete their year with a Record of their Achievements, an employability passport and a set of references and witness statements.