The Future of Educational & Career Guidance: Where next?

1. The Future of Educational & Career Guidance:Where next? Deirdre Hughes Director & University Reader Centre for Guidance Studies 25th May 2006

2. Overview • Key themes linked to policy & practice • Research, policy and practice perspective • Social and economic prosperity for all N.I citizens

3. Proposition Need to assess and understand more fully changes in patterns of learning, work and lifestyles

4. Aim • Create a national shared vision • Agree common language • Generate evidence on impact • Inspire people to better manage their lives, learning and work

5. All individuals regardless of their social or economic circumstances, need to find ways of connecting with learning opportunities so that they can prosper and achieve their true potential

6. Common Goals • Supporting informed choices • Helping individuals manage their decisions • Inspiring people to develop knowledge and skills to manage transitions throughout their lives Confidence Resilience

7. Sign of the Times Industrial revolution: 20th Century Digital revolution: 21st Century

8. International Symposium Findings • Scale of the current difficulties in meeting skill and labour requirements is large

9. International Symposium Findings • Need for more skilled, flexible and self-directed workers

10. International Symposium Findings • Closer links being forged between a broad range of policies

11. Workforce • Preparation • Adaptability and sustainability • Reintegration

12. OECD, Paris • Size of labour force will grow little or even fall in some G7 countries • Imperative to skill, up-skill and re-skill the adult population

13. OECD, Paris • Basic competencies must be in place for Newcomers • Recognise informal and formal learning linked to qualification system

14. The social and economic purpose of career development are inter-dependent

15. Personal and financial management, career exploration and employment flexibility are all inextricably linked

16. Brain Drain • 15% graduates in 1999 left the province • Less than 10 and more than 30 A level points more likely to be working outside N.I

17. Brain Drain • Of the 2,020 domiciled graduates who gained their degree at UK HEIs in 2003/2004…. • 36% returned to NI 6 months after graduation • 55% remained elsewhere in UK • 4% migrated to Eire

18. Rising wealth, falling unemployment & changing migration patterns • Cultural diversity • Distinctive patterns emerging • Not simply an increase in scale of previous patterns

19. ‘Generation Y’…a new breed of consumer • Electronic gadgets • Adopting technology • Parents and grandparents – ‘money trees’ • Self-image paramount

20. ‘Generation Y’…a new breed of consumer • Opportunity for self-gain an ‘entitlement’ or ‘right’ • Developing a BLUEPRINT for 21st century?

21. Fail to impress government sufficiently • Lack of sufficient evidence to show impact • Lack of common agreement between differing bodies from within the guidance community

22. Fail to impress government sufficiently • Insufficient standardisation of terminology • Weak links established in the spirit of trust and openness

23. Future shape & characteristics Guidance ……..a vague product or service? A new and dynamic vision has to be articulated so that people will want to invest time, energy and resource ‘A ‘Blueprint for Career Development’

24. Personal Management Learning and Work Exploration Career Building Build and maintain a positive self image Interact positively and effectively with others Change and grow throughout life Participate in lifelong learning Locate and effectively use career information Understand relationship between work society and the economy Secure/create and maintain work Make career enhancing decisions Understand, engage in and manage the career building process Maintain balanced work and life roles Understand the changing nature of life and work roles Four development phases across the lifespan Primary Needs based approach Older adults Learning stages and performance indicators Local standards A Blueprint

25. Totally convinced….. • Helping people to continuously adapt • Supporting quality and consistency of services • Optimising the development and use of resources

26. Totally convinced….. • Achievement of competencies – ‘can do’ approach • Supporting the integrity of differing services • Evaluating and reporting on impact

27. Multi-cultural society • Recognition of differing cultural beliefs and values in supporting the achievement of life and work goals

28. New tactics for evidencing impact of educational and careers work • Showcase strategies and resources that highlight both impact and innovation

29. New tactics for evidencing impact of educational and careers work • Seek to influence and negotiate with policy-makers • Marshall evidence based on consumer / voters needs

30. Cross Training in Career Development • Basic teacher training • Further education training • Human Resource Specialists e.g. South African approach

31. Where Next? • Agree a common framework – a customised Blueprint • Clearer product definition – career development services for all

32. Where Next? • Develop and deliver cross-training and CPD • Maintain integrity of services through a more joined-up approach

33. A METAPHOR Blue print to ground reality Strength and stretch

34. Thank You!Email:cegsenquiry@derby.ac.ukWebsites:http://www.derby.ac.uk/cegshttp://www.derby.ac.uk/nlrghttp://www.guidance-research.org

35. The Future of Educational & Career Guidance:Where next? Deirdre Hughes Director & University Reader Centre for Guidance Studies 25th May 2006