Careers
Our Vision
Our vision is to make sure all students become successful adults in their future. Their curriculum journey will explore their career aspirations.
We aspire for all our students to:
- Know their strengths, skills and qualities and are curious about their careers.
- Explore possible options and pathways to make informed choices.
- Take opportunities and make the best of them.
- Improve social mobility (Increase deaf employment) and outcomes of our students.
- Be confident and positive about their future prospects, have self-belief and are able to promote themselves to others.
- Move on to successful and fulfilling lives beyond the Academy.
Post 16 careers (16-18)
In post 16, our students will be learning core subjects such as BSL, English and maths, which will be helpful for their future careers. We offer qualifications from Entry level to Level 2 in all subjects, and for BSL, we also do Level 3.
We also offer Enterprise and Careers lessons which are helpful for them to learn the necessary skills they need. The students will have the opportunity to learn how to sell and make a profit from the enterprise items they create. Within careers lessons, the students will learn how to find a job, write CVs and practice interviewing.
Over the two years of Post‑16, they will build confidence and develop a clear sense of what they hope to achieve during their time at the Deaf Academy and beyond.
Students on this pathway are also given a Preparation for Adulthood curriculum that is designed to increase their skills in relation to Employment, Independent Living, Accessing the Community and Health. Our programmes can also have personalised content depending on the student including Driving Theory, Independent Career advice, Travel Training and Enterprise.
We aim to get young adults involved with the local community and provide Deaf Awareness workshops to any organisation who would like our expertise.
We work with partnership colleges including Bicton and Exeter college to support students gain qualifications which will help with future career aspirations.
Post 19 Careers (19-25)
Post 19 is an exciting adventure for our students where they will be building their independent skills and living away from the academy at our Long Causeway site. This pathway is aimed at preparing students to become successful and confident young adults by focusing on Employment, Independent Living, Accessing the Community and Health. Deaf young adults have the opportunity to explore different career choices to help them make informed decisions about their future employment pathways.
Our semi formal students encourage ‘learning through doing’. Students practise a wide range of independent living skills including learning how to cook, communicate with people in the local community and budgeting.
By living away from the academy site, it can give our students a new sense of independence and they can develop their future skills in both living and working environments.
There will be lots of opportunities to discover what passions there are for our students. They will be able to visit career fairs, have opportunities to do work experience and visit local businesses to teach them about Deaf Awareness and improve access for Deaf people living in Devon. Our Post 19 students will learn how to build a strong CV and interview skills for their future careers. At the end of Post 19, they will be confident to leave and find a place to live or work.
Internships
When relevant, an internship is used as a personalised pathway to support some students in achieving their individual goals and progressing towards employment, and we have created a Deaf SEN internship programme to meet these needs.
Students begin with a pre-internship phase to ensure they are fully prepared, developing key skills such as communication, understanding workplace expectations, and building confidence.
An internship then provides real-life work experience, helping students further develop important skills such as teamwork, independence, and problem-solving.
The purpose of the internship is to prepare students for employment, and each placement is bespoke to deaf students, with tailored communication support and adapted environments to ensure success.