Graduation Ceremony Toolkit 2015 For schools and colleges in England and Wales 1 Contents Page 3 Introduction The importance of graduation Types of Graduation Ceremony Bookings and invitations Page 4 Organising a small ceremony Page 6 Organising a larger ceremony in school/college Page 9 Organising a ceremony hosted by an employer Page 12 Organising a joint ceremony with a nearby Career Ready centre Appendices Appendix 1 Invitation templates for each type of ceremony Appendix 2 Press Release template Appendix 3 Sample running order and MC Script 1 Introduction You may find this Toolkit useful if you decide to organise your own Career Ready Graduation Ceremony. Lots of the information and resources could also be used to plan any event. The importance of graduation Graduation is a celebration, and an opportunity for everyone to recognise the achievements of the students and to thank the employers who have supported them. For many students, this may be their only graduation and it is an important milestone for both them and their families. If you are looking to attract new local employers, the ceremony could also be used as a PR tool. Invite local businesses along to see the difference their support could make to their staff volunteers and your students. What type of ceremony could you organise? Some options include: 1. A fairly small ceremony with just the students, school/college staff and LAB members present 2. A larger ceremony in school/college, inviting parents and mentors as well 3. A ceremony hosted by an employer – ask your LAB members if they can support you 4. A joint ceremony with a nearby Career Ready centre For options 2, 3 and 4 you will need to consider the room layout: Theatre-style: students and guests seated in rows with an aisle down the middle Cabaret-style: students and guests seated around tables You should also decide whether you will invite an MC (usually a student who has already graduated from the Career Ready programme at your centre) to host the ceremony and read out the names of the students and speakers. Sending out invitations You may prefer to invite your guests by email. Alternatively, if you choose to organise a bigger event, we recommend EventBrite, (www.eventbrite.com) an online event booking service which is free and simple to use. Once you have set up your event on the system, you can prepare the text for the invitation and upload the names of those you are inviting with their email address. EventBrite sends everyone on your list an email inviting them to your event and asks them to register. The advantage of using EventBrite is that you can see who has registered to attend your 1 event, who has not read the email and who has not booked (so you can easily re-send the invitation). From the ‘Reports’ tab you can export names to Excel or Word for an attendee list and, if required, badges. 1 1. Organising a small ceremony with the students, school/college staff and LAB members attending Lead in time: at least two months Item Agree on a date and time and book the meeting room or classroom Agree on the people you wish to invite and draw up a mailing list Inform the graduating students of the event details, such as the venue, date and time Agree who will be presenting certificates to the students Agree if the students will be speaking about their Career Ready experiences Send invitations On a spreadsheet, record the names and email addresses of all those who have confirmed their attendance Regularly update your LAB members on the confirmed guest list Action Completed (date) Four weeks before the ceremony Item Prepare a running order of the event (a) in case there is an emergency and you are not in school/college on the day of the ceremony so someone else can step in, and (b) so that your LAB members and Principal are aware of what has been organised Inform Yvonne Plows at Career Ready (Yvonne.plows@careerready.org.uk) of the date and time of the ceremony and the names of the students who will be graduating as soon as possible. Yvonne will organise for the graduation certificates to be sent to you before the event Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) Three weeks before the ceremony Item Send follow-up emails to those who have not replied to the invitation Ten days before the ceremony Item Send your LAB members, Principal and anyone else relevant a copy of the running order and a list of attendees (including students) 1 Send your reception staff the running order plus car registration numbers for those who need a space in the car park Order any catering required Book any AV that is required – for example if you are using a PowerPoint presentation Make sure you have received the graduation certificates from Career Ready Brief your students: share the running order with them so they know what will be happening when If applicable, ask them to prepare a short speech about their Career Ready experience for the ceremony Agree a dress code On the day Item Check on room booking, furniture layout, catering and AV equipment Brief any student speakers Try and take some photos at the ceremony Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) The day after the ceremony Item Update the press release template (Appendix 3) with details of your event and send it to your local newspaper with a photo Send a ‘thank you’ email to those who attended and attach a photo of the students 1 2. Organising a larger ceremony in the school, with LAB members, school/college staff, parents and mentors/employers attending Lead in time: at least three months With your LAB: Item Agree on a date and time, book the hall and include details of room set-up and any AV requirements Agree on the people who you wish to invite and draw up a mailing list Inform the graduating students of the venue, date and time and ask them to confirm the names of any guests (parents, guardians, family members etc.) they would like to invite Agree who will be presenting the students and check if they are available Agree if the students will be speaking about their Career Ready experiences Agree on any speakers – e.g. the Principal/Headteacher, LAB Chair or a motivational speaker? Agree if you will be inviting an MC to the ceremony (to host the event and read out names of graduating students and speakers) and if so contact a potential student to see if they are available Send a ‘save the date’ invitation to those you wish to attend If necessary, prepare a Risk Assessment for your H&S department On a spreadsheet, record the names and email addresses of all those who have confirmed their attendance, including the names of the students’ guests Regularly update your LAB members on the confirmed guest list Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) Two months before the ceremony Item Prepare a running order of the event (a) in case there is an emergency and you are not in school/college on the day of the ceremony so someone else can step in, and (b) so that your LAB members and Principal are aware of what has been organised Inform Yvonne Plows at Career Ready (Yvonne.plows@careerready.org.uk) of the date and time of the ceremony and the names of the students who will be graduating as soon as possible. Yvonne will organise for the graduation certificates to be sent to you before the event 1 One month before the ceremony Item Send follow-up emails to those who have not replied to the invitation Have a meeting with your LAB Chair and possibly a member of your SMT, to discuss the running order – send them a copy in advance of the meeting so they can run through this and highlight any queries Send the draft running order to your MC to inform them of what will be happening at the ceremony and what they will be doing/saying Discuss catering with your LAB Chair and after the meeting start the ordering process Ask the students for the names of their guests, if not yet received Start preparing PowerPoint slides Order any additional AV equipment if required (microphones, etc.) Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) Ten days before the ceremony Item Send your LAB members, Principal and anyone else relevant a copy of the running order and a list of attendees (including students and their guests) Contact your MC and arrange to discuss the final running order Send confirmation about the ceremony to your guest speaker(s) including a briefing on how many students will be graduating, now many employers, parents/guardians etc. will be attending Send all other attendees a confirmation email with timings, venue and parking arrangements. Ask them to let you know if they are unable to attend Send your reception staff the attendee list and running order plus car registration numbers for those needing a space in the car park Confirm numbers with your caterers Prepare a seating plan and print names on A4 paper so they can be placed on the chairs on the day If you have more than one Career Ready theme, print out the names of the students on each theme for the chairs Make sure you have received the graduation certificates from Career Ready Brief your students – share the running order with them so they know what will be happening If applicable, ask them to prepare a short speech about 1 their Career Ready experience for the ceremony Agree a dress code On the day Item Check on room booking, furniture layout, catering and AV equipment Remind students of the time and location of the ceremony If applicable, run through the running order with your MC Try and take some photos at the ceremony Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) The day after the ceremony Item Update the press release template (Appendix 3) with details of your event and send it to local newspapers with a photo Send press release and photo to the person responsible for the school/college website so the news story can be uploaded to the website Send a ‘thank you’ email to those employers, speakers and VIPs who attended and attach a photo of the students 1 3. Organising a ceremony hosted by an employer If an employer is hosting your event you will normally receive support from them in organising AV, catering and room layout. Lead in time: at least six months, unless the employer can accommodate a shorter timescale Arrange to meet with the employer so you can: Item Agree on a date, time and venue Agree on the number of people who will be attending Action Completed (date) After this meeting you should confirm the date, time and venue with your LAB members and SMT. Five months before the ceremony/once the venue, date and time have been confirmed Item Inform your LAB members of the venue, date and time of the event Agree who should be invited and draw up a mailing list Inform the graduating students of the venue, date and time and ask them to confirm the names of any guests (parents, guardians, family members etc.) they would like to invite Agree who will be presenting the certificates to the students and check they are available Agree if the students will be speaking about their Career Ready experiences Agree on any speakers – e.g. the Principal/Headteacher, LAB Chair or a motivational speaker – and check if they are available to attend Agree if you will be inviting an MC to the ceremony (to host the event and read out names of graduating students and speakers) and if so contact a potential student to see if they are available Send a ‘save the date’ invitation to those you wish to attend If necessary, prepare a Risk Assessment for your H&S department On a spreadsheet, record the names and email addresses of all those who have confirmed their attendance, including the names of the students’ guests Regularly update your LAB members on the confirmed guest list Action Completed (date) 1 Two months before the ceremony Item Action Prepare a running order of the event (a) in case there is an emergency and you are not in school/college on the day of the ceremony so someone else can step in, and (b) so that your LAB members and Principal are aware of what has been organised Send a copy of the running order to the employer and your LAB Chair If you are having a MC, send them a copy so they have an idea of what the ceremony will look like and their role Inform Yvonne Plows at Career Ready (Yvonne.plows@careerready.org.uk) of the date and time of the ceremony and the names of the students who will be graduating as soon as possible – Yvonne will organise for the graduation certificates to be sent to you before the event Completed (date) One month before the ceremony Item Have a meeting with your LAB Chair and possibly a member of your SMT, to discuss the running order, catering and AV. You may also wish to include your employer contact, or have a meeting with them separately. Send a copy of the running order in advance so they can run through this and highlight any queries Send a copy of the running order to your MC and arrange to discuss over the telephone – confirm the date, time and venue with the MC and what time they should arrive Chase all those who have been invited but have not responded, asking them if they are able to attend Ask the students for the names of their guests if applicable Start preparing the PowerPoint slides – check with the employer on the ratio of the screen and projector they will be using on the day Order any additional AV equipment (microphones etc.) if required Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) Ten days before the ceremony Item Send the employer and your LAB members, Principal/Head Teacher and anyone else relevant a copy of the final running order and a list of attendees (including students and their guests) Send confirmation of the ceremony to your guest speaker(s) including a briefing on how many students will 1 be graduating, how many employers, parents/guardians etc. are attending Send all other attendees confirmation email with timings, venue and parking arrangements. Ask them to let you know if they are unable to attend Prepare a seating plan and print names on A4 paper so they can be placed on the chairs on the day If you have more than one Career Ready theme, print out the names of the students on each theme for the chairs Make sure you have received the graduation certificates from Career Ready Brief your students – share the running order with them so they know what will be happening If applicable, ask them to prepare a short speech about their Career Ready experience for the ceremony Agree a dress code One week before the ceremony Item Meet with the employer to run through everything so you are both up to speed Confirm numbers and email over a list of names of those attending Confirm catering Confirm AV and, if ready, email the PowerPoint presentation to the employer with a copy of the running order Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) On the day Item Check on room booking, furniture layout, catering and AV equipment ordered Remind your students of the time and location of the ceremony Do a run through of the ceremony with the MC using the running order and PowerPoint slides Brief any student speakers Take photos at the ceremony The day after the ceremony Item Send a ‘thank you’ email to the host employer, those employers, speakers and VIPs who attended and attach a photo of the students Update the press release template (Appendix 3) with 1 details of your event and send it to local newspapers with a photo Send the press release and photo to the person responsible for the school/college website so the news story can be uploaded to the website 1 4. Organising a joint ceremony with a nearby Career Ready centre Lead in time: at least four months Initial steps: Identify a local Career Ready centre with whom you could potentially partner and contact them to discuss co-hosting a ceremony. Meet with your LAB and discuss possible dates and times for the shared ceremony. Check the preferred dates/times with your SMT. Meet with your counterpart from the other school/college and discuss the event, including: Item Agree the date, timings, venue and number of people attending Ensure the room is available and provisionally book it with details of room set-up and any AV requirements Agree who you wish to invite and draw up a mailing list – you may well be working with the same employers, so make sure ‘shared’ employers only receive one invitation Discuss the running order: agree who will present the students with their certificates and ask if they are available agree if students will be speaking about their Career Ready experiences agree on any speakers – e.g. Principal/Headteacher, LAB Chair or a motivational speaker – and check if they are available Agree any costs – i.e. catering – and who will pay for what Agree if there will be one or two MCs (who will host the ceremony and read out the names of the students and speakers) Agree transportation to and from the ‘host’ school/college and make arrangements as necessary Agree a dress code Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) Following that meeting: Item Report back to your LAB and SMT on ‘shared’ costs involved and have these agreed Confirm the date, time and venue with your LAB and SMT Inform the graduating students of the venue, date and time and ask them to confirm the names of their guests (parents, guardians, family members etc.) who they would like to invite Send invitations 1 Send an email to anyone you would like to speak at the event asking if they are available If necessary, prepare a Risk Assessment for your H&S department On a spreadsheet record the names and email addresses of all those who have confirmed their attendance including the names of the students’ guests Regularly update your LAB members on the confirmed guest list Two months before the ceremony Item Prepare a running order of the event (a) in case there is an emergency and you are not in school/college on the day of the ceremony so someone else can step in, and (b) so that your LAB members and Principal/Head Teacher are aware of what has been organised. Share the preparation of the running order with your counterpart If you are having a MC, send them a copy so they have an idea of what the ceremony will look like and his/her role Inform Yvonne Plows at Career Ready (Yvonne.plows@careerready.org.uk) of the date and time of the ceremony and the names of the students who will be graduating as soon as possible – Yvonne will organise for the graduation certificates to be sent to you before the event Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) One month before the ceremony Item Have a meeting with your counterpart at the other school/college and agree the final running order and any other matters – e.g. catering, car parking, who will escort guests from reception to the ceremony, etc. Discuss the running order with your LAB Chair and possibly a member of your SMT, highlighting any actions Discuss catering with your LAB Chair and after the meeting start the ordering process Chase those who have been invited but have not responded, asking them if they are able to attend If necessary, ask the students for the names of their guests if not already submitted to you With your counterpart, start preparing the PowerPoint slides and order any additional AV equipment if required (microphones etc.) If you are having an MC, confirm that they are still available and happy to fill this role 1 Ten days before the ceremony With your counterpart: Item If you are having an MC or MCs arrange a meeting to go through the running order with him/her and ensure they know what they have to say Send your LAB members, Principal and anyone else relevant a copy of the final running order and a list of attendees (including students and their guests) Send a confirmation about the ceremony to your guest speaker(s) including a briefing on how many students will be graduating and how many employers, parents/guardians etc. attending Send all other attendees a confirmation email with timings, venue and parking arrangements. Ask them to let you know if they are unable to attend Send your reception staff the attendee list and running order plus car registration numbers for those needing a space in the car park Confirm numbers attending with your caterers Prepare a seating plan and print names on A4 paper so they can be placed on the chairs on the day Print out the names of the students, so they can be placed on the chairs on the day Make sure you have received the graduation certificates from Career Ready Brief your students – share the running order with them so they know what will be happening If applicable, ask them to prepare a short speech about their Career Ready experience for the ceremony Agree a dress code Action Completed (date) Action Completed (date) On the day With your counterpart: Item Check on room booking, furniture layout, catering and AV equipment Remind your students of the time and location of the ceremony With the MC, do a run through of the ceremony using the running order Brief any student speakers Try and take some photos at the ceremony The day after the ceremony 1 Item Update the press release template (Appendix 3) with details of your event and send it to local newspapers with a photo Send press release and photo to the person responsible for the school/college website so the news story can be uploaded to the website Send a ‘thank you’ email to those employers, speakers and VIPs who attended and attach a photo of the students Action Completed (date) Yvonne Plows March 2015 1 Appendix 1 Invitation templates which can be emailed For a small ceremony with the students, school/college staff and LAB members Insert your logo here The Career Ready students of (name of school/college) have pleasure in inviting you to the Career Ready Graduation Ceremony on (date), (time) at (Name of School and Address) We hope you are able to join us! Places are limited so please let us know if you are able to attend. RSVP to (your name) at (your email) 1 For a larger ceremony in the school with LAB members, school/college staff, parents, mentors and employers attending Insert your logo here The Career Ready students of (name of school/college) have pleasure in inviting you to their Graduation Ceremony on (date), (time) at (Name of School and Address) Places are limited and we hope you are able to join us! RSVP to (your name) at (your email) by (date) 1 For a ceremony hosted by an employer and held at their offices: Insert your logo here Insert the employer logo here The Career Ready students of (name of school/college) have pleasure in inviting you to their Graduation Ceremony on (date), (time) kindly hosted by (name of company with address) We hope you are able to join us! Places are limited so please let me know if you are able to attend. RSVP to (your name) at (your email address) by (date) 1 For a joint ceremony with another Career Ready centre: Insert one school/college logo here Insert one school/college logo here The Career Ready students of (names of schools/colleges) have pleasure in inviting you to their Graduation Ceremony on (date), (time) at (Name of School and Address) Places are limited and we hope you are able to join us! RSVP to (your name) at (your email) by (date) 1 Appendix Three Press Release template [INSERT SCHOOL/COLLEGE LOGO] [Insert date] Students from [INSERT SCHOOL/COLLEGE NAME] celebrate becoming ‘Career Ready’ [INSERT NUMBER OF STUDENTS] students from [INSERT SCHOOL / COLLEGE NAME] celebrated completing a programme of masterclasses, mentoring and work-based learning designed to help them become ‘career ready’ when they finish their studies. The ‘graduation event’ was held at [INSERT VENUE] on [INSERT DATE AND TIME]. Students were presented with certificates in front of an audience of [VOLUNTEERS? PARENTS?]. They also heard from [INSERT DETAILS OF SPEAKERS]. The students have all completed the Career Ready programme alongside their sixth form studies. The programme, run by national charity Career Ready, includes a series of masterclasses that aim to help students gain practical and current employment knowledge; mentoring by someone from the world of work; workplace visits that give behind-the-scenes insights into different industries; and internships and work-based experiences that help students put their learning into practice working for real employer. [INSERT QUOTE FROM SCHOOL/COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVE]. [INSERT QUOTE FROM GRADUATING STUDENT]. Career Ready (formerly known as Career Academies UK) is a national charity that aims to open up the world of work to young people and support them to develop the skills and attitudes they will need to compete for the best jobs in the country. [INSERT SCHOOL/COLLEGE NAME] has been working with Career Ready for [X (number)] years to help their students prepare for the world of work. 1 [IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE A QUOTE FROM CAREER READY PLEASE CONTACT THE PRESS OFFICE ON 020 7986 5494]. [INSERT NAME OF SCHOOL/COLLEGE] is always looking for more volunteers from the local business community who would be willing to work with students to help them prepare for their future careers. If you are interested in finding out more or volunteering with the school/college please contact [INSERT CONTACT DETAILS]. ENDS For more information or interview opportunities please contact: [insert your contact details] Notes to editors [INSERT SCHOOL/COLLEGE INFORMATION & WEB ADDRESS] Career Ready Career Ready (formerly known as Career Academies UK) is a national charity that links schools and colleges with employers to help prepare young people for the world of work. Established in 2002, nearly 7,000 young people aged 16-19 have been through our programme, which runs alongside their academic studies. The programme is built on four pillars which give students regular contact with working people and places: face-to-face mentoring by someone in work; masterclasses to help develop key skills and attitudes needed in their future career; workplace visits that provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of local and national employers; and work-based experiences and internships to allow students to put their learning into practice in a real work environment. We currently work with nearly 200 schools and colleges across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, largely in urban areas of social need. More than 700 employers and approximately 4,000 employer volunteers deliver the programme and sit on the local business boards, set up around each centre to create a sustainable connection to the local employment market. In 2014, nearly 20% of Career Ready students across the UK applied for an apprenticeship or school-leaver programme, twice as many as those completing the programme in 2007. Career Ready is cited as an example of best practice for employer engagement in the latest statutory government guidance for both schools and colleges, as well as in the latest CBI Scotland report, Delivering Excellence - A New Approach for Schools in Scotland. 1 20% of businesses who support us have recruited at least one student they met through the Career Ready programme; 80% of businesses state they would employ a Career Ready student as a result of their experience. For more information visit: www.careerready.org.uk 1 Appendix Four Sample running order and MC Script CAREER READY GRADUATION CEREMONY ON (Date) – (Start time and finish time) VENUE: (name of room and full address) MAIN CONTACT AT VENUE: - Insert name, mobile number and email address CATERING: Insert name, mobile number and email address AV: Insert name, mobile number and email address MC: Name of MC with mobile number GUEST SPEAKERS: Insert names and mobile numbers Timings are based on a ceremony starting at 1700hrs with one cohort of students graduating and two guest speakers. More students and guest speakers can be added as appropriate. TIME 1430 1500 1530 ITEM Meet with (name of MC) for run through Put names on student chairs Student briefing and run through with slides 1600 1630 Set up graduation certificates on table on stage Students and guests start to arrive – students to meet and greet Guests to their seats in main room From lectern Welcome from (Name of MC) Good afternoon and welcome to the graduation ceremony for the Career Ready students. The ceremony today will focus on the students and their achievements. We are very grateful to …… (here you could thank the employer for hosting the ceremony or others) 1655 1700 Name of MC WHO AV Complete run through with slides Slide 1 WELCOME SLIDE SP, YP Slide 2 MC SLIDE My name is (Name) and I graduated from the Career Ready programme in (year) - then MC explains career journey and what he/she is doing now. You are more than welcome to take photos during the ceremony and we are happy for you to Tweet but please have your phone on silent. Thank you. 1707 Slide 3 TWEETING SLIDE I would now like to introduce (name of LAB 1 MC Chair or Principal who will welcome everyone) (Name) takes to stage. (MC takes seat in front row Slide 4 1707 The speaker takes place at lectern and speaks….. Slide numbers as applicable to the speech 1717 MC When speaker has finished MC returns to lectern Thank you (Name of speaker). (Say something that you found personally interesting about the speech) Slide We will now start the presentation of graduation certificates. I would like to ask (name(s) of those presenting the certificates to students) to join me on stage. (Wait until TBA on stage) Please give a round of applause for the graduating students from the Career Ready programme (from name of school/college if applicable): Time MC Time MC Time MC Time Time MC Read out names individually and each student goes on stage, receives certificate. If students speaking introduce each speaker by name and they speak from a handheld mic (if needed) about their Career Ready journey. We suggest 1-2 minutes per student (Lead applause) Well done guys – please give a round of applause for the Career Ready graduates. (Lead applause) MC then says something like Based on my experience as a Career Ready graduate…… Give the students some hints and tips on what they may experience over the coming years, based on your experience. I would now like to ask (name of speaker) to close the ceremony Speaker takes to stage and speaks from lectern. Lead applause Thank you (name of speaker). (Please say something you found interesting in speech). Slide number(s) Slide Slide Slide 1 It has been a really great experience being your MC today! It is something I will include on my CV and I have found the experience really useful in developing my presentation skills! Congratulations everyone….. refreshments will now be served in (name of room). 1