Sixth Form Employability Focus for Lent Term

There are seismic changes taking place in the jobs market driven by technological, economic and sociological factors, these are resulting in a highly competitive graduate jobs market. At the same time employers are signalling the importance for young people to focus on their soft skills as well as improving their AI literacy.  

It was reported recently that audit and assurance staff joining Deloitte UK will be given extra training in transferable skills such as communication and problem solving. AI can do many things, but it will never be able to recreate the interpersonal skills that are so valuable in creating the culture that enables a business to succeed. 

‘Automation is not eliminating the need for human connection; it is elevating it to the single most valuable leadership currency.’ Dominic Price, Forbes Australia Business Summit 

With all of this in mind, Sixth Form Students have actively engaged in building their skills across the term. 

Employability Event (March) 

We welcomed keynote speaker and special guest Caroline Goyder, author of Find your Voice and an internationally recognised expert speaker and trainer with senior management and private individuals. Caroline engaged the whole group in learning valuable techniques to gain confidence and be prepared to ‘show up when you least feel able to’. After the main session, Caroline then worked with smaller groups in a carousel where they were able to interact personally with her. 

‘What a delightful group and I hope that I have given them all a little bit of a sense of how brilliant they already are and how they can trust themselves when they are grounded and when they show up in service of something bigger than them contributing to the institutions, the businesses that they want to go and study at or work for.’ 

Students rotated across the morning into other sessions on topics such as: Assessment Centres – ‘Beyond the AI filter’ (below), LinkedIn and Developing their CV. This was an entirely new event, in the follow up survey students reported a 26% increase in their confidence in having employability skills. The level of engagement across the carousels was excellent with a high percentage of students indicating an interest in further support in these and other employability development areas. 

Beyond the AI Filter: Why the ‘Human Element’ is Reclaiming the Job Market 

Securing a graduate role is often framed as ‘tougher than ever,’ yet the reality on the ground is shifting in a way that should encourage Lancing students.  

While AI-driven screening was predicted to automate the entire hiring process, many recruitment managers are reporting a slower adoption rate than expected. Instead, at recent industry conferences, the conversation has returned to a fundamental truth: the increasing need to test ‘human’ skills in real life. 

While virtual assessment centres surged in popularity a few years ago, we are seeing a distinct swing back to in-person activities. This is partly due to AI saturating the application process; when candidates use bots to write applications everyone starts to look identical on paper. This ‘digital sameness’ makes it almost impossible for recruiters to see who actually has the spark, passion, or personality for the role. By returning to the room, employers can bypass the blandness of AI-generated profiles and see how a candidate genuinely thinks. 

Assessment centres are far from new; they were pioneered by the military in the 1940s to improve the reliability of leadership potential. Today, nearly all graduate employers (95% of the members of the Institute of Student Employers) use additional activities beyond an interview. It is no longer just about what you know, but how you apply that knowledge in a live, unpredictable environment. 

At the recent Lower Sixth Careers Day, I presented a simple group task. To the students, the task was the goal. However, the exercise was a direct mirror of a group assessment. We weren’t looking for a ‘right’ answer; we were hunting for the transferable skills relevant to any workplace: 

• Who listened?
• Who encouraged the quieter members of the group?
• Who stayed calm when the eight-minute timer began to run down?
• Who thought creatively about the problem?

In a real-world assessment centre, these ‘micro-behaviours’ are exactly what recruiters are assessing. A candidate might be brilliant individually and academically successful but if they cannot collaborate under pressure or adapt when a teammate suggests a better idea, then they won’t get a look in.   

The classroom exercise served as a reminder that the skills needed to succeed at the highest levels of industry are being forged right now in daily interactions at school even without related work experience. 

The best way to prepare for the future isn’t by ‘doing things’ just to pad out a CV; it is about reflection. The experience itself is only half the story. Whatever experience you encounter (be it a part-time job, a position of responsibility, a sports team, or even failing a music exam) you are learning something that can be taken forward. 

By asking ‘How did I handle that challenge?’ or ‘How did I explain that idea?’, you turn a simple activity into a transferable skill that can be articulated to a recruiter.  

In a world increasingly managed by code, the most successful candidates won’t be the ones with the most polished digital profiles. They will be the ones who can walk into a room, engage with a team, and demonstrate that they are more than just a list of grades on a screen. 

By Anna Champion (Lancing Parent), Empowering Emerging Talent to Succeed @ The Talent Lighthouse 

 January – One to One Interview Practice 

Fifteen OLs and parents came to the College to conduct one-to-one job interviews with all of our Lower Sixth pupils.  Each student was interviewed for ten minutes and then given five minutes to discuss their performance with the recruiter, receiving individual tailored feedback. Recruiters had CVs from the interviewees and were able to tailor questions as well as pose questions that are commonly encountered in many professional settings.  

January/March – Successful Job Applications 

In small carousel groups pupils learnt and discussed job application techniques using a relevant and possible example. They started with critically reading a job description, assessing what skills and experience are required, matching these to one’s own skills and preparing for an interview. They practiced carrying out essential research before an interview and how this might be critical in their success. They also shared ideas on questions to pose, identified possible questions that they might be asked, and examples that they might offer to demonstrate their suitability for the role.