Award-winning EdTech charity launches course to help teachers deliver careers education

Award-winning educational-tech charity @Founders4Schools and leading social learning platform @FutureLearn have joined forces to create a ground-breaking online course to equip educators with the digital tools they need to deliver careers education to young people, with new and improved support for teachers advising students on their careers.

Mapper: Navigating Digital Career Tools, is open for enrolment on FutureLearn.com and learning will commence today (1st June 2020).

With support from J. P. Morgan, the collaboration has created content that highlights and explains the work and services of a coalition of expert partners: Workfinder, Apps for Good, Worldskills UK, LifeSkills created with Barclays, The Skills Builder Partnership, Start, UCL, The Creative Industries Federation and The Centre For Education and Youth.

Mapper is important because the job market for young people has changed beyond all recognition in the last decade and it’s unclear how the significant disruption of the past three months has further skewed future working practices. 

Michalea Eschbach, Managing Director at Founders4Schools, said:

“The tools and knowledge provided within the course will help educators steer young people to consider their future career options with clarity and purpose. This is an uncertain time, but learning is a wonderful way of arming ourselves against risk. That’s why I’d encourage educators to sign up now so they can give their students a head-start planning their futures.”

Topics covered within Mapper include:

• How the world of work is changing and why we need to change with it.
• How digital tools will help young people to develop skills they will need in the future to succeed.
• What digital tools are available for educators, where they can access them and how to use them.

After taking the course, educators will have mastered the wide range of digital career tools used by their peers to make their transition into work easier, from work experience opportunities to employer engagement.

“The impact of the COVID-19 crisis has heightened the need for quality training that can be accessed online and on-demand,” said Jessica Ferguson, Co-Head for UK Philanthropy for J.P. Morgan.

“At J.P. Morgan we are committed to helping young people prepare to succeed in their future careers and hope this course enables educators to build their knowledge, skills and ability to support students in navigating opportunities in a changing economy.”

Finola Lang, Global Education Lead at FutureLearn, said:

“The workplace has evolved rapidly over the years and the jobs landscape is undergoing seismic changes right now which will have a huge longer term impact. 

“Now more than ever, teachers and educators need access to the best resources so they can keep up with job market developments and expand their knowledge of the digital tools available to help guide the careers advice they’re giving to their students. We are proud to partner with Founders4Schools, who play a leading role in improving the employment chances of young people, to deliver the ‘Mapper: Navigating Digital Career Tools’ course to help teachers effectively prepare their students for the world of work.”

Who is Mapper for? 

• This course is designed for teachers in schools seeking professional development in digital tools designed to prepare students for the world of work. 
• This course is relevant for all teachers in schools and further education who’d like to better understand how to guide their students into employment. 

Designed to be taken from home, this course takes 2 hours per week, over 4 weeks, to complete. And there is the opportunity to apply for a full CPD certificate. Sign up today! 

Who developed the course?

Founders4Schools is an award-winning educational-tech charity working towards a vision where children and young people are given the best start in life, no matter their background. They connect children and young people with inspirational role models to improve their aspirations, fulfil their potential and prepare them for the rapidly changing world of work.