The Ultimate Guide to Career Resources for Educators

At OxBright, we know that educators are busy people. Having access to high-quality resources can help you work more efficiently by reducing the time spent on research and planning, and allowing you to spend more time with your students. 

Our recently launched University Preparation Report analysed data from more than 2000 students across the world, to highlight current trends in how Generation Z are preparing for university. We found two key findings: 

• Students care about a diverse range of factors when they’re applying to universities
• Students derive value from exploring their subject options early 

At OxBright, we want to empower you to incorporate these trends in your session planning, and equip students with the tools they need to thrive. 

With this in mind, we’ve created a bank of our top career resources that you might find helpful in your session planning and personal development. 

The Importance of Career Guidance in Education

Careers educators play a critical role in helping students navigate decisions about their future careers in a rapidly changing job market. The impact of the pandemic has heavily disrupted working patterns, with significant increases in remote working and automation (McKinsey, 2021). Meanwhile, technological advances, such as the increased use of AI, promise to revolutionise the way we work. For students (and educators!), these rapid changes can feel overwhelming. 

Now more than ever, students need support and guidance to understand their career options, and how these are changing. It’s therefore essential that educators stay informed and armed with resources to prepare students for the future.

Evolving career opportunities and challenges

It’s no secret that the job market is changing. AI and Machine Learning Specialists now top the list of fast-growing jobs – roles that were rarely heard or spoken of until recent years. As economies shift towards renewable energy, the “Green Energy” industry is also growing, with an increased demand for Sustainability Specialists, Renewable Energy Engineers, and Solar Energy Installation and System Engineers. Meanwhile, increased automation is driving the decline of many secretarial and clerical roles (World Economic Forum, 2023). 

These complex changes in sustainability, technology, and digitalisation create a difficult career landscape for students to face. Furthermore, it creates unique challenges for educators seeking to guide students through these diverse and evolving career paths.

The educator’s role in career development

To guide students successfully, educators therefore need to do more than just impart knowledge. They must be able to provide insights into practical career choices, helping students understand their options and evaluate what they want from their careers. 

Careers guidance isn’t just about giving students the knowledge and skills needed to get a job. It’s about empowering them with the understanding and insights needed to pursue the career that’s right for them. 

Educators need to be equipped with the right resources to guide students effectively through the process of career exploration, in an environment where the choice of careers available is evolving rapidly.

The Impact of Quality Career Resources

Quality careers resources can significantly enhance the effectiveness of careers education. Students have such a range of career paths open to them, and it’s impossible for careers educators to be experts on all of these. Having up-to-date and comprehensive resources allows educators to connect students with information and opportunities, without needing to become industry experts themselves. 

Further, access to quality resources improves the efficiency with which educators can work. With a large volume of tasks to be completed, having resources that can synthesise important information, or support your lesson planning, allows educators to focus their time on the most important areas.

Bridging the gap between education and industry

With requirements for specific subjects constantly changing, it can be difficult to keep up to date with the correct information that students need when selecting their school subjects. 

Do you need A-level Biology to study Medicine at university? Do you need a Law degree to be a lawyer? Do you need work experience to apply for a degree apprenticeship? Having the right resources can bridge the gap between education and industry, and ensure that you’re able to give accurate and comprehensive guidance to your students. 

Empowering educators to guide confidently

When educators are confident in the accuracy of their resources and guidance, students benefit from a clearer understanding of their future career path. Students have a more accurate picture of what their goals are and which subjects they need to study to reach their future university or career ambitions. 

Having clear, step-by-step guidance is a motivational driving force for students, allowing them to focus on their next steps. When educators give confident career guidance, their students become more career ready.

Resources to Support Career Educators

Having the right resources is essential to providing the best quality careers guidance, so we’ve picked out our top ten resources for educators. Utilising these resources is a quick and easy way to provide accurate guidance and stay up to date with current trends.

Resources to keep up with current trends and requirements

1. Experience AI’s Lesson Resources. Experience AI is a new educational programme that offers cutting-edge resources (including lesson plans) on artificial intelligence and machine learning for teachers and their students.

2. The Uni Guide’s A-Level Subject Guide For Degrees. The Uni Guide provides an excellent overview of essential and recommended a-level subjects for different degree programmes.

3. Prospects Luminate Newsletter. Sign up to the Prospects Luminate newsletter for regular updates about the labour market and how it’s changing.

Best resources for lesson planning

4. My Learning My Future Directory. My Learning My Future is an excellent pack of resources to support subject teachers in providing careers guidance related to their specific subject.

5. Become an OxBright Partner School to receive a Welcome Pack of free resources and lesson plans for careers sessions.

6. UCAS’ Career Planner for KS3. This simple teaching guide by UCAS is packed with lesson ideas for Key Stage 3 classes looking ahead to their future choices and careers.

7. Careers & Enterprise’s Labour Market Information. This collection has resources for students KS3-KS5, including case studies, lesson plans and workbooks to support students in understanding labour market information.

Resources to share with your students

8. University of London’s Careers Courses. This free online course by the University of London Careers Service is designed to help students aged 16-18 make good decisions about their post-18 options.

9. icould’s Career Ideas. This collection of videos from icould allows students to learn about careers directly from real people in a wide range of industries and roles. Students can filter by subjects and industries of interest.

10. OxBright’s Career Test for Students. The OxBright Career Test analyses students preferences, interests and skills to generate tailored insights and career recommendations.

Having a bank of quality, up-to-date resources is essential for educators who want to provide comprehensive, accurate and confident careers guidance. With the job market rapidly changing, and the range of opportunities available to students increasing, educators need good resources to stay informed. 

If you want to receive regular resource recommendations, and hear examples of best practice from top-performing schools, you can join our Heads of Futures group on LinkedIn. We’d love to hear your top tips in a post when you join!

By Izzy Mencattelli

Izzy is a graduate of Oxford University, where she read Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Whilst studying, she developed a particular interest in ethics, and wrote her undergraduate thesis on the ethics of the family. Alongside her studies, she volunteered on numerous charity projects, and spent a year as President of Oxford RAG. Izzy now works as Project Executive at OxBright, supporting the delivery of a range of projects to help students get the edge for their futures.