Free STEM Careers In Eyecare Lesson Plan – ABDO

Free STEM careers in eyecare lesson plan: Teachers and Careers Leaders can help students and learners explore eyecare careers they might enjoy. This lesson plan has been created by ABDO Careers in Eyecare, first published here.

STEM Eyecare Careers Lesson Plan Overview

Students will research a range of eyecare careers linked to STEM subjects and present back to class what information they have found.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will better be able to link the learning in the classroom to a range of careers they may be interested in.
• Students will see how STEM subjects fit into so many careers and that with a good understanding of STEM subjects the world of work opens up to them.

Frameworks

Gatsby Benchmark 4 Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers:  All teachers link curriculum learning with careers. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subject teachers highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future career paths. By the age of 14, every student has had the opportunity to learn how the different STEM subjects help people to gain entry to a wide range of careers.

CDI – 4.Linking curriculum learning to careers All teachers should link curriculum learning with careers. STEM subject teachers should highlight the relevance of STEM subjects for a wide range of future paths.

CDI Framework areas of learning linked to the achievement of the benchmark performance indicators: 7, 11, 16

Gatsby Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees: Every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. Students should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year between years 7-13.

CDI-5. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, mentoring and enterprise schemes.

CDI Framework areas of learning linked to the achievement of the benchmark performance indicators: 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 17

Self-awareness, self-determination and self-improvement underpin aspiration, ambition and achievement in careers, learning and the world of work Exploring, investigating and understanding the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that careers and the world of work have to offer is a prerequisite for successful planning and development Developing a range of career management, employability and enterprise skills is the key to meeting challenges, making progress and managing change.

Step By Step Guide

2 Minutes: Introduce Youth Employment UK to students

Youth Employment UK provides free membership called Young Professional to all 14-24 year olds in the UK. This membership is accessed online and helps young people to build up skills for life and work. It can be used virtually or in a classroom capacity.

In addition, Youth Employment UK has Career Guides with useful information about the world of work, careers, pathways, salary information, tips, advice and much more. Students are going to use these Career Guides today to learn more about the world of work, and to build their skills for making career choices, researching information and improving their job searching skills.

3 Minutes: Introduce Careers in Eyecare to students

https://www.youthemployment.org.uk/careers-hub-employer/abdo-careers-in-eyecare/

Show the 15 key sectors in the UK and ask students where they think eyecare may be placed:

• Agriculture, Environmental & Animal Care
• Business & Administration
• Catering & Hospitality
• Childcare & Education
• Construction
• Creative & Design
• Digital
• Engineering & Manufacturing
• Finance, Accounting & Legal
• Hair & Beauty
• Health & Science
• Protective Services
• Sales, Marketing & Procurement
• Social Care
• Transport & Logistics

It is anticipated that they will choose Health & Science Careers.

2 Minutes: Set the task

Tell students that they are going to research some careers on the Careers in Eyecare pages. In pairs or small groups they are to find a career where one needs to have a good understanding of one or more STEM subjects. You may find it quicker to allocate careers to groups. Once they have chosen their career, they are then going to research it and present what they find back to the class in a 1 minute presentation. They can use paper or IT-based presentation tools to do their presentation.

5 minutes: Students make their career choices

Students make their career choices from the Careers in Eyecare pages. You may choose to allocate careers to the pairs/groups as this will be quicker and give a wider spread of careers.

20 minutes: Students prepare their presentations

Whilst researching their career, students prepare their presentation. Ask them to present information such as:

• Job description
• What the job entails
• What qualifications you might need
• How much might you earn in this career
• Naming a local employer in eyecare
• Naming a national employer in eyecare
• Which of the 15 key sectors the job might fit into (point out that there may be more than one)
• Which lessons at school could  useful for this career, and why.

15 minutes: Students prepare their presentations

You can support their confidence in this activity by asking them to read through these communication tips for giving a presentation.

Plenary (10 minutes)

Revisit the 15 key sectors in the UK and ask which sectors the roles fit into.

It is anticipated there will be roles within:

• Business & Administration (practice manager)
• Creative & Design (frame design)
• Engineering & Manufacturing (lab technician, frame manufacturing, lens manufacturing, equipment)
• Health & Science (all roles)
• Sales, Marketing & Procurement (Frame sales rep)

What have students learnt about the world of work?

What have students learnt about careers in eyecare?

Are there more roles and careers than they thought?

Teacher Notes

Suggested next steps

• Get students to register as Young Professional Members so that they can benefit from the additional support that Young Professional Members get
• Deliver the Young Professional assemblies to students to help them learn about the 5 core skills – Communication, team work, problem solving, self-belief and self-management
• Invite a professional from one of the careers you learnt about to come and talk to students
• Arrange a visit to a local employer where STEM is at the heart of their work

Additional Resources

Find an inspiring STEM speaker to come and talk to your students.

Work with your enterprise adviser to develop your business links in schools.

Final Notes

• Don’t forget to share this lesson plan and the Youth Employment UK resources with other colleagues.