Choosing a Career – SEN Life Skills Module

Support learners in exploring future career options with confidence through realistic, accessible activities that encourage self-reflection and informed decision-making.

Designed for teenagers and young adults, this practical PDF resource is particularly suitable for SEN learners, alternative provision, supported learning, Functional Skills and Preparing for Adulthood programmes. It helps learners consider their own strengths, preferences and support needs while introducing key aspects of the workplace in a clear, manageable way.

Using structured discussion, reflection and real-life scenarios, learners explore different working environments, workplace expectations and career pathways, helping to reduce anxiety and build confidence about life beyond education.

What’s Included

• A child-friendly glossary of key employability and workplace vocabulary
• A glossary of job sectors with example careers
• Activities exploring different working environments, routines and workplace cultures
• Tasks comparing working patterns, including full-time, part-time and shift work
• Activities introducing hard skills and soft skills required for different careers
• Real-life activities exploring salary, deductions and take-home pay
• Simple calculations linked to earnings and budgeting
• Activities exploring reasonable adjustments and workplace support
• Self-assessment and reflection exercises
• Matching activities
• Structured discussion opportunities
• Decision-making activities, including comparing careers and creating pros and cons lists

Skills Developed

• Exploring personal strengths, interests and support needs
• Understanding different career pathways and job sectors
• Developing employability awareness and workplace readiness
• Understanding salaries, deductions and take-home pay
• Applying literacy and numeracy skills in authentic workplace contexts
• Making informed decisions by evaluating different career options
• Understanding reasonable adjustments and inclusive workplaces
• Building confidence, self-awareness and independence

Accessibility

The resource is presented in a dyslexia-friendly 14pt font to support accessibility. Activities use clear language, structured layouts and authentic real-world contexts to help learners engage with workplace concepts in a supportive, confidence-building way.

Ideal For

SEN, SEND, Alternative Provision, Supported Learning, Functional Skills, Functional English, Employability, Careers Education, Independent Living, Preparing for Adulthood, PSHE, KS3, KS4, Post-16 and learners developing workplace readiness and life skills.