Eight students at Hautlieu School have embarked on a new curriculum offering which aims to give sixth-form students a mixture of academic and real-world vocational learning.
The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) has been made possible thanks to the hard work of Hautlieu staff and the support of Deloitte. This programme gives students an additional choice of sixth-form education and is an alternative to the A-Level and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) options currently offered at the school.
Students will undertake at least two traditional academic courses from the wide range of IBDP subjects offered at Hautlieu. This is combined with their career-related study – the ICAEW Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business, which is supported by Deloitte and Hautlieu teachers, and includes work experience at the business services firm. As well as invaluable workplace learning and experience, students will gain many insights into how the finance sector in Jersey really works.
A programme of personal and professional skills will be provided, including service-learning where students set out to meet a local community need, and language development where students have access and exposure to a second language.
Students will learn communication skills, develop the ability to work independently and in teams, build self-confidence and become more internationally-minded.
Nick Falle, Hautlieu School Headteacher, explained: “The new IBCP Programme is one of the most unique and innovative qualifications offered to post-16 students anywhere in the world, presenting students with a mixture of both academic and real-world vocational learning. The IBCP is a qualification recognized by universities around the world, as well as being the perfect preparation for those looking to enter employment at 18.”
Siobhan Durcan, Partner at Deloitte in Jersey, said: “This is such a fantastic opportunity for career-driven students to get ahead of their peers in a competitive job market. The skills that they will learn and the experiences they will gain as part of the IBCP will make them really stand out from the crowd when they go to enter the workplace, and will make the transition from student to professional much easier.”
The new programme places great value on the idea of nurturing ‘home grown’ talent. Connor O’Brien, a former Hautlieu IB student and now a Manager in Audit & Assurance at Deloitte, certainly sees things in those terms: “As a former IBDP student, the IB is close to my heart, and it’s great to be able to give back to both the students and also the wider finance industry through developing young, local talent.”
Nick Falle commented: “We hope that in the future we will be able to expand our IB Career-related Programme offering to include other types of career-related study but in the first few cohorts we wanted to meet the needs of many of our students who are looking for a career within the finance sector.
“Our offering would not have been possible without the vision and commitment of the Deloitte Jersey team, who have worked with us to develop our new qualification.”
Students and parents who are interested in the IB Career-related Programme for future years can attend an information evening at the school on 7 November at 18:00, or contact Hautlieu School directly for more information.
