Masterclasses (Guru Lectures)

A masterclass is a lecture given by an employee volunteer to a group of 16-19-year-old Career Academy students in their classroom. By sharing their business expertise and experiences, guest lecturers complement other teaching resources, enhance the knowledge of Career Academy teachers and help to ground the curriculum in the real - and current - world of work.

Masterclasses can add value in a specialist area of study, such as risk or pension investments, or support wider employability messages - for example, around business etiquette or career paths. The exact format of a masterclass is defined on a local basis, to best suit the individuals and topic involved. But interactivity is always key for the adolescent audience. It could in fact consist of an informal Q&A session, for example.

A variety of people volunteer to lecture a masterclass, including enthusiastic but time-poor senior managers, as the commitment can be as little as a few hours a year. We completely appreciate that ‘once a week, every week' volunteering opportunities are not feasible for many people who would nonetheless be happy to help on an occasional basis.

The session could be a one off, or perhaps repeated annually with each new intake of students. We recommend allowing a total of five hours to deliver a one hour session. This includes planning and preparation time and travelling to/from the school or college.

Interested in volunteering to deliver a masterclass? Please liaise directly with a Career Academy in your area or contact us and we'd be delighted to put you in touch.