What is employability?

Employability is one of our key Rye College Values. The joint CBI and Universities UK report (2009) “Future Fit: Preparing Graduates for the World of Work”, employability skills are defined as: 

“A set of attributes, skills and knowledge that all labour market participants should possess to ensure they have the capability of being effective in the workplace – to the benefit of themselves, their employer, and the wider economy”. 

  • Academic skills: include specialist knowledge, ability to apply knowledge, logical thinking, critical analysis, problem-solving, written and spoken communication, ability to use numerical data, computer literacy and research skills. 

  • Personal Development Skills: include self-confidence, self-discipline, self-reliance, awareness of strengths and weaknesses, creativity, independence, knowledge of international affairs, desire to go on learning, ability to reflect, reliability, integrity, honesty and regard for others. 

  • Enterprise or business skills: include entrepreneurial skills, ability to prioritise tasks, time management, interpersonal skills, presentational skills, ability to work in teams and leadership skills, commercial awareness, flexibility, innovation, independence and risk-taking. 

So what does employability mean for you? 

Employability is about much more than just getting your first job – it’s about having a positive self image and presenting yourself successfully, both as a new graduate and throughout your life. 

Your skills, knowledge and personal attributes and the ability to convey them effectively all contribute to your employability as do your personal circumstances and labour market conditions. 

You probably already know that you need to get good results, complete some work experience and improve your skills in order to get a good job. 

Finding Jobs

You could talk to your

  • parents
  • parent's friends
  • your friends
  • teachers

Below are some useful websites to help you research careers, employability and opportunities. 

Careers Box  

Watch videos giving information about jobs on sites like Careers box (really good UK website with hundreds of videos about jobs) 

home - icould   

Explore careers and take the Buzz quiz to find out what sort of career you would be suited to 

CXK Services for Young People  

Explore training opportunities and careers advice and guidance 

Careers Hub East Sussex - YouTube 

Explore local jobs and labour market information 

Government websites 

Government departments usually have their own websites such as RAF, Navy, ArmyDirectGov 

There is also the National Careers Service which provides IAG and allows you to take skills assessments 

Company websites 

Think of a company and search for it. Most large companies have a Jobs or Vacancies page 

Job websites 

Have a look on Job Seekers or look at commercial recruitment websites 

Jobs4U  

Job Search | Indeed 

Volunteering

Why volunteer?

When you start applying for work you will realise most jobs require experience. You can't get experience without a job and you can't get a job without experience, round and round you go. The answer? Volunteering

How do I find out more?

Here is some information about volunteering.

NCS | Grow Your Strengths | National Citizen Service (wearencs.com) 

Experiences including social action projects and residentials. These are aimed at building employability skills, self confidence and self-esteem. 

© Copyright 2015–2024 Rye College | Aquinas Trust– View Privacy Notice

School & College Websites by Schudio