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Comparing the impact of career websites and other career support Cathy Howieson and Sheila Semple

Comparing the impact of career websites and other career support Cathy Howieson and Sheila Semple University of Edinburgh. The impact of career websites?. Increased role of career websites in career information and guidance (CIAG) but lack of evidence on their impact

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Comparing the impact of career websites and other career support Cathy Howieson and Sheila Semple

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  1. Comparing the impact of career websites and other career support Cathy Howieson and Sheila Semple University of Edinburgh

  2. The impact of career websites? • Increased role of career websites in career information and guidance (CIAG) but lack of evidence on their impact • Evidence that ‘traditional’ CIAG can help develop pupils’ career management skills - predictors of positive post school transitions • Can career websites also help young people develop these skills? • Our perspective: positive about role of websites but need to know more about their use and impact

  3. Context of the research • Current research builds on study in 2009 for Careers Scotland • Development of MyWoW – central to new service delivery model • 2012-13 is transitional year but MyWoW is the universal offer to pupils so necessary to study it • Opportunity to gather base line data

  4. The study (1) • 1039 4th year pupils in 14 secondary schools across Scotland (4 LAs) • pupils surveyed in Oct/Nov 2012 and again in Feb/March 2013 • group work with pupils and interviews with school staff in 3 core schools ; careers advisers did not participate • key informant interviews

  5. The study (2) • The surveys: - pupils’ use of websites (MyWoW& PlanitPlus) - their other CIAG experiences & inputs - individual and family background information - assessment of their career management skills  identify any changes in their career management skills (CMS) between the two surveys  assess the impact of MyWoW on S4 pupils’ CMS compared with other CIAG inputs

  6. Pupils use a variety of sources of CIAG • NB % actually using my MyWoW not simply being registered for it

  7. Use of MyWoW • Use was alongside provision – only 10% of MyWoW did not access other provision • Wide variation by school (30%- 79%); not explained by school characteristics • Higher level of use: - early leavers - if thought school developing their decision-making skills • Lower level of use: if uncertain about their career ideas • No significant difference by attainment

  8. Some pupils are missing out • Just under a fifth of pupils (17%) had no CIAG apart from family discussions: • school attended (0% - 29%) • lower attainment • if thought their school was not helping them to develop decision-making skills.

  9. Views of pupils and staff • Pupils who had used MyWoW were positive about it “My world of work website is a good website to use when you are considering to find out your strengths and weaknesses. It helps you to become more confident with how to apply for jobs and college courses.” S4 pupil • School staff also valued it: - comprehensive information - broaden and clarify pupils’ career ideas - resource for guidance work

  10. Digitalnatives ? • For both staff and pupils issues about accessing information and using it effectively: “They need led by the hand… they like Google but are only capable of getting general information out of it.” (Deputy Headteacher) • Misplaced assumptions about ‘digital natives’ and the ‘Google generation’

  11. Personal contact • Websites valued - but as one part of provision – and personal contact with careers adviser also wanted: “The careers adviser could tell you straight and give you options that suited you, not just a lot of information like what you’d get from a website.’” (S4 pupil) “On a website you only support yourself, if you’d someone supporting you, you might get more interested in your career and you might go and use a website then.” (S4 pupil) • But considerable uncertainty about careers adviser’s role and access arrangements; increased since 2009?

  12. What impacts on pupils’ career management skills (CMS)? • Examined five CMS: • awareness of strengths, weaknesses and values; • opportunity awareness; • career planning readiness; • support and advice awareness; • application skills and knowledge. • Change in pupils’ score in the time between the two surveys – what made the difference? • Statistical analysis – impact of MyWoWcontrolling for a range of factors

  13. Factors that made a difference to pupils’ career management skills

  14. Discussion • Pupils (and teachers) valued websites but also wanted personal contact - and this contact had a positive impact – how can this be achieved? • How can websites be best used alongside other provision? • Positive impact of school careers libraries yet ideas about ‘digital natives’. What can be learnt from this re the design of effective services? • How can the targeting of services be adjusted to take account of pupils’ career (un)certainty as well as social & educational criteria? • Underlines need for hard evidence on the impact of career websites and other provision

  15. Further information Cathy Howieson c.howieson@ed.ac.uk Sheila Semple s.semple@ed.ac.uk Briefing and report will be available at: http://www.ces.ed.ac.uk

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