At ANTA, we believe every young person deserves to understand the opportunities available to them and develop the confidence, skills and aspirations needed to achieve their next steps.

Our programmes combine personal development, employability skills, employer engagement and progression planning to help schools deliver meaningful Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).

Whether learners are accessing our Alternative Provision, employability programmes or enrichment activities, careers education is embedded throughout everything we do. We support schools in preparing young people for adulthood, helping them make informed decisions about education, training and employment.

Supporting the Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks provide the framework for high-quality careers guidance in schools. ANTA's programmes naturally support these benchmarks through practical, employer-focused learning experiences and personalised learner support.

Benchmark 1: A Stable Careers Programme

We work alongside schools to ensure our interventions contribute to wider careers, personal development and learner progression objectives.

How ANTA helps:

• Structured programmes with clear outcomes

• Progress reviews and learner targets

• Evidence of engagement and achievement

• Feedback and reporting for schools

• Contributions to personal development strategies
   

Benchmark 2: Learning from Career and Labour Market Information

Young people are introduced to current employment opportunities, local industries and future career pathways.

How ANTA Helps

• Discussions about local employment sectors

• Labour market trends and growth industries

• Employer expectations and workplace culture

• Understanding skills shortages and opportunities

• Exploration of emerging career pathways
   

Telford Jobs: Real Labour Market Insight

ANTA benefits from a unique connection to the local labour market through Telford Jobs, one of the region's largest employment-focused online communities.

Managed by our Managing Director, Craig Howard, Telford Jobs has almost 40,000 members and provides ongoing insight into:

• Local vacancies and recruitment activity

• Skills employers are actively seeking

• Areas of workforce demand

• Regional employment trends

• Opportunities available across Shropshire and the wider West Midlands

This allows our team to bring genuine, real-world labour market information into learner discussions, helping young people understand what opportunities exist within their local area and how they can access them.
 

Benchmark 3: Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil

Many learners require additional support to build confidence, resilience and aspirations.

How ANTA Helps

• Individualised support and mentoring

• Personal target setting

• Confidence-building activities

• Exploration of suitable progression routes

• Support for learners facing barriers to engagement

Our approach recognises that every learner's journey is different and that successful career planning begins with understanding individual strengths, interests and ambitions.

Benchmark 4: Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers

Learners often ask, "Why do I need to learn this?"

We help young people understand how subjects, skills and qualifications connect to future employment opportunities.

How ANTA Helps

• Highlighting transferable skills

• Demonstrating workplace applications of learning

• Linking education to career pathways

• Developing workplace-ready behaviours

• Exploring how literacy, numeracy and communication skills are used in employment
   

Benchmark 5: Encounters with Employers and Employees

Direct engagement with employers helps bring careers education to life.

How ANTA Helps

Through our employer and business networks, learners can gain exposure to:

• Employer expectations

• Different industries and sectors

• Career journeys and success stories

• Recruitment and interview processes

• Workplace culture and professional behaviours

These encounters help young people gain a clearer understanding of employment opportunities and the skills needed to succeed.
 

Benchmark 6: Experiences of Workplaces

Exposure to workplaces helps learners understand professional environments and broaden their horizons.

How ANTA Helps

• Workplace visits where appropriate

• Industry-based learning projects

• Practical employability activities

• Real-world learning opportunities

• Work-related experiences linked to future careers

By connecting learning to authentic workplace settings, learners gain valuable insight into the world of work.

Benchmark 7: Encounters with Further and Higher Education

Young people should understand the full range of opportunities available beyond school.

How ANTA Helps

• Awareness of Further Education pathways

• Information about apprenticeships

• Understanding vocational qualifications

• Training and employment opportunities

• Discussions about progression routes

Learning from Real Progression Journeys
 

Through ANTA's wider training and employability programmes, learners can see examples of how people move from education into training, apprenticeships and employment.

This helps young people recognise that there are multiple routes to success and that progression looks different for every individual.
 

Benchmark 8: Personal Guidance

Meaningful guidance helps learners make informed decisions about their futures.

How ANTA Helps

• One-to-one mentoring

• Goal setting and action planning

• Careers-focused conversations

• Confidence-building support

• Progression planning

Our staff work closely with learners to help them identify opportunities, overcome barriers and develop realistic plans for their next steps.
 

Employability Skills Development

Throughout our programmes, learners develop the skills employers consistently tell us are most important.

These include:

• Communication

• Teamwork

• Problem-solving

• Reliability

• Professional behaviour

• Confidence

• Resilience

• Self-awareness

• Time management

• Adaptability
   

These transferable skills prepare young people for education, training and employment while supporting their wider personal development.
 

Connecting Young People to Real Opportunities

One of ANTA's key strengths is our position within the local employment, skills and training landscape.

Many organisations can explain careers.

We help learners understand how to access them.

Through our connections with employers, community organisations, training providers and local labour market networks, learners gain meaningful insight into:

• Employment opportunities

• Recruitment processes

• Workplace expectations

• Skills development

• Career progression

• Local and regional industries

This helps transform careers education from theory into practical understanding.

Supporting Ofsted's Personal Development Agenda
 

ANTA's work contributes to schools' wider personal development and preparation for adulthood objectives.

Our programmes support:

✅ Personal Development

✅ Careers Education

✅ Employability Skills

✅ Employer Engagement

✅ Aspiration Raising

✅ Preparation for Adult Life

✅ Positive Destinations

✅ Community Engagement

By combining engagement, personal growth and future planning, we help learners build the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to take successful next steps.

Alternative Provision with Purpose

Our Alternative Provision is about more than engagement.

Every learner is encouraged to think about:

• Future ambitions

• Career interests

• Education and training pathways

• Employment opportunities

• Workplace expectations

• Long-term goals

We create meaningful connections between education, personal development and future success, ensuring learners understand not only where they are now, but where they can go next.

Why Schools Choose ANTA

✅ Careers-focused learning embedded into programmes

✅ Strong emphasis on employability and personal development

✅ Support for Gatsby Benchmark delivery

✅ Employer engagement opportunities

✅ Real labour market insight through Telford Jobs

✅ Individualised support for vulnerable learners

✅ Focus on progression and positive destinations

✅ Strong links to local employers, training providers and community organisations
 

Let's Work Together

If your school is looking to strengthen its CEIAG offer, enhance personal development provision or provide meaningful employer-focused learning experiences, we'd love to discuss how ANTA can help.
 

Through Alternative Provision, employability programmes and careers-focused learning, we help schools develop confident, informed and ambitious young people who are better prepared for their future.

Contact ANTA today to find out how we can support your learners, your careers programme and your Gatsby Benchmark objectives.