Evaluating the Legacy Careers Project.

The Legacy Careers Project was a five day programme of career enrichment activities for schools in East London. The programme ran from June to December 2013 with students moving from Year 8 to Year 9. It provided information and activities to support students to better understand their future career options. The project takes its inspiration from the Olympic Games and is informed by the opportunities offered by Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This paper sets out the findings of an evaluation of the project conducted by the International Centre for Guidance Studies. The evaluation concludes that the project was successful. Evaluators noted the delivery of an effective and coherent career learning programme that aligned well with best practice in the sector. Key indicators of success are as follows: • Students who participated in the programme reported that they enjoyed the experience and found it useful; • A high level of learning could be observed throughout the programme; • Students reported that they had developed their skills and attributes through the programme; • There was evidence of greater purposefulness in thinking about their next career destination; • The programme exceeded the initial target of 200 participants by providing 770 students (year 8, moving to year 9) and an additional 70 team leaders (year 12) with career enrichment activities outside of the classroom; • There was a high level of positive engagement from the schools involved in the programme; and • The programme also provided opportunities for a group of sixth form team leaders. These students also reported improvements in their self-confidence (53%), leadership skills (47%) and other skills and attributes.