IB programme gives pupils a taste of finance industry
GUERNSEY’s finance industry looks set to get a shot in the arm of young new talent after the pilot year of a new International Baccalaureate career-related programme at the Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre has been hailed a success and will continue.
A cohort of 10 students have completed their first year of the two-year programme designed to bridge the gap between academic and vocational studies.
IB co-ordinator Paul Montague said the programme was broader than A-levels and added a career-related element to the syllabus not previously available.
‘Students who know they want to pursue a career in finance often go to sixth form on a whim just to get A-level qualifications,’ said Mr Montague.
‘We are offering the IB career-related programme in order to prepare these students for a career in finance.’
He said the Grammar School Sixth Form recognised that Guernsey is a thriving finance ‘giant’ and the senior team decided to focus the career-related element of the programme on financial qualifications.
‘The programme is more holistic than A-levels and makes the students far more employable as they will have financial qualifications at the end of it.’
Students must choose two IB higher level subjects as well as completing a career-related programme which ‘enhances student’s personal and interpersonal development, with an emphasis on experiential learning’.
The career-related programme includes language development, personal and professional skills, service learning, and a reflective project.
The students also attend the College of Further Education one day per week to gain a Certificate in Financial Studies in the first year and a Certificate for Introduction to Securities and Investment in the second year.
The IB qualification is the recognised qualification across many European countries. Once a student has completed the IB, it can open doors for them to study further at universities and colleges across Europe.
AP Personnel recruitment consultant Carla Whitham said any further education was a plus for a student.
‘At AP Personnel, we would always encourage school leavers to complete these types of studies. The finance sector is the largest industry in the island so the finance and securities certificates, with the IB, are an excellent way for a job seeker looking to enter into this industry.
‘This programme provides some useful grounding to enhance the student’s career prospects and, more importantly, be an asset to their new employer.’
The College of Further Education certificates and the IB higher level courses also count towards Ucas points which allows the students to apply to university and keep their options open for the future.
