Careers work in schools: what are our options?

1. Careers work in schools: what are our options? David Andrews Tuesday 30 October 2012, London ESRC Seminar Series

2. “We don’t need no [careers] education” (in England)

3. Aims of careers work in schools • to help students develop the skills and confidence to make realistic and informed decisions about their futures, for themselves, and to manage the transitions from one stage of their education, training and work to the next • to help students develop knowledge and understanding of learning, work and career

4. Students’ needs • Careers Information • on post-13/14 (KS4) options, post-16 options, post-17 and post-18 options • on progression routes • comprehensive, up to date, accessible • Careers Advice & Guidance • linked to tutoring and mentoring • effective recording and referral • impartial(based on the needs of the learner, not the institution) • Careers Education • how to use information and guidance • career management skills • employability skills

5. The partnership approach (1973 - ) Schools • careers information • careers education • initial advice and guidance, and referrals to external careers guidance service External careers guidance service • careers guidance: in context of IAG on wider range of wellbeing matters • support for careers information • support for careers education

6. National Careers Service For adults (BIS) - £84.4M in 2012-13 • online and telephone helpline services • face-to-face careers guidance (free to priority groups) For young people (DfE) - £4.7M in 2012-13 • online and telephone helpline serviceswww.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk0800 100 900 • [face-to-face careers guidance services on the open market, if the local provider decides to offer such services to schools, but not to be branded ‘NCS’]

7. Education Act 2011: CEG • Schools have a new statutory duty* to secure access to independent careers guidance for pupils in Years 9-11 (consultation on extending the duty down to Year 8 and up to age 18 in schools, sixth form colleges and FE**) • ‘careers guidance’ must be presented as impartial, include information on all options in 16-18 learning, and promote the best interests of the pupils • ‘independent’ is defined as provided by persons other than those employed at/by the school [the duty applies to academies and free schools through their funding agreements, but not to independent schools] • The statutory duty to teach careers education has been repealed* from September 2012** from September 2013

8. From September 2012 • Decisions about the careers education, and careers guidance, young people receive will be made by schools • There is a range of providers of careers guidance (local authority services, private providers, individuals, etc.) • LAs retain responsibility for the targeted support for the more vulnerable young people, including those who are NEET and those with SEN/LDD (e.g. Section 139a assessments)

9. Careers education and work-related learning, including enterprise: school autonomy Schools were already free to determine: • the amount of time allocated • what was taught • how it was taught • where in the curriculum it was taught The only additional freedom that repealing the statutory duties gives schools is the freedom to drop these areas from the curriculum

10. school - external guidance service partnership • Careers Service service level agreements • Connexions partnership agreements • School-commissioned contracts with providers of careers guidance

11. Careers guidance from 2012: external models • from the/a local authority • from a careers guidance company • from a sole trader/individual CA • from a social enterprise formed by several CAs • from an EBP • from an FE college student services department • from a local partnership of schools + sixth form college • from a university careers service

12. Careers guidance from 2012: internal models • employing a professionally qualified careers adviser • training a teacher, or member of the non-teaching staff, to provide career guidance • giving the job to someone not qualified or trained

13. Will it work? • Concerns • no entitlement for students • inconsistent quality of service • “postcode lottery” • “squeezed middle” • Reviews • Education Select Committee inquiry • Ofsted theme inspection • Underlying problems • no funding • very limited support • no monitoring • no sanctions

14. Other parts of the UK and the Republic of Ireland • Wales • Single, public sector-funded, all-age careers service • Careers education statutory 13-19 • Scotland • Skills Development Scotland • Career Management Skills Framework for Scotland • Northern Ireland • Assembly Committee for Employment and Learning inquiry into CEIAG strategy • Republic of Ireland • School-based guidance counsellors • Work with individuals (counselling) plus work on self-management skills to make choices (guidance) • Concern re. funding allocations to schools

15. Careers education and work-related learning, including enterprise: schools’ responsibilities equipping young people to make effective use of information, advice and guidance making cost-effective use of the career guidance that schools will have to pay for in the future developing young people’s career management and employability skills New ACEG Framework for careers and work-related education 7-19 Quality in Careers standard Professional development for careers education subject leaders?

16. Options for the future: 1Keep Calm and Carry On • Funding • DfE • Support and sharing good practice • Local authorities and individuals • National Careers Service • Career Development Institute • Challenge and monitoring • National Careers Service

17. Options for the future: 2Forward to the past • Re-visit the partnership model • Change the remit and funding for the National Careers Service to make it a truly all-age careers guidance service for England, with partnership agreements with schools

18. Options for the future: 3a fresh start? Develop a world-class, school-based model • Career development professionals employed by schools • Responsible for providing careers information, advice and guidance and for leading on careers education

19. Builds on current trends … • School autonomy • Emerging practice in a significant minority of schools not complying with the new statutory duty • Blurring of roles between external careers advisers and careers leaders in schools • Established practice in FE colleges, HE and many independent schools

20. Challenges … • Impartiality • Bigger problem which careers guidance cannot solve • LMI • Role for National Careers Service • Role for employers (I and A, but not G) • Professional Development and Support • Role for National Careers Service and Career Development Institute working together • Funding • Include an allocation in direct school grant

21. Transition plan … Where would the careers staff in schools come from? • some careers coordinators in schools, more careers advisers Professional qualifications for the new role • QCG, plus modules on careers education • new Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development, with new units on careers education What would happen to the existing careers companies? • Regional providers of LMI and professional support services, commissioned by NCS and CDI

22. So what next? • A discussion paper • Consultations with interested parties • Research of models in Ireland, USA, Australia, etc. Anyone interested in working further on this please contact me: davidandrews_ceg@hotmail.com