Chester House Vocation Incubator Programme

Elixir was very excited by the opportunity to take a whole group of Grade 11's though it's Vocation Incubator process. The challenge for schools is to provide the coaching required for young people to make authentic choices around tertiary degree, work experience and ultimately careers.

 Our process is very holistic in that it uses a wide variety of modalities to develop the self awareness of young people. The process starts with a survey to help students understand who and what has been influencing their choices while exploring their beliefs, ideas and most importantly the dominant emotions that they are experiencing. These results where shared among the group to show people that they are not alone in their confusion while also giving people insights into the various motives that drive people's decisions.

For many young people it is very confusing having to balance the opinions of parents, peers and the limited window of experience that they have in the real world with what inspires and engages them in the present. The programme is very geared towards giving people the confidence to cultivate their passions, values and abilities while showing them that there are opportunities out there in the market place that will support there personal fulfillment and financial prosperity. 

The 1st stage of the incubator was incorporated into Grade 11 hike to the Cederburg. Elixir specialises in eco-facilitation where nature is used as a vehicle to connect each person to their sense of purpose and as a guide in how to apply universal principles to career development. The culmination is a vision quest where young people translate their new knowledge around self awareness, emotional needs and personal values into an inspiring mission that is the platform for the rest of the process.

Through further coaching back at school, each student was coached into distilling down their vision into a holistic personal development framework that created goals accross 10 year, 1 year and 1 month periods. Not only does the tool enable young people to appreciate how our fulfilment is integrated accross life areas such as the physical, spiritual, financial and family, but that through applying effective time management, people can realise their visions and plan there lives more effectively.

A key part of vocation development at their stage is experience. How young people are expected to choose between 40,000 potential careers with a few days of immersion is a mystery. As such, Elixir coached the young people into developing research driven internships that answered key questions related to their own vocation journey. The sessions were used to overcome the common yet very seldomly alleviated fears about stepping into the workplace for the first time. Through a greater appreciation for their own unique value proposition and that they can always add value, they felt more confident to position themselves were they would benefit more.

Dove tailing this process was the emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship. Not only where the students required to complete a work experience, but they also had to proactively seek ways of innovating for the company. Through stimulating this drive, it made students aware of the reality that certifications and degrees do not guarantee employment, only the ability to add value in whatever circumstance they find themselves pursuing. The students were encouraged to present their innovations to their parents and employers.

The Chester Hosue programme was the first pilot of the Vocation Incubator in schools and the feedback has been very positive. This is what the head master James Fraser had to say!

In 2011 Elixir presented a vocational programme that was integrated into the schools existing Outdoor Education Programme. Led by Jeremy Behrman the programme challenged pupils to give developing a sense of personal and professional direction the time it deserved.

In addition we as a school found Jeremy’s experience helpful in professionalising our approach to careers education, which we wanted to raise to the next level. I also appreciated Jeremy’s flexibility in dealing with the challenges that working in a young school such as ours presented.