Why Psychometrics don’t always ‘work’ in Career Guidance . .. and how to make them ‘work’ better!

1. ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION Holiday Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon Friday 8 November 2013. Chintha Dissanayake, PhD Chartered Occupational Psychologist Why Psychometrics don’t always ‘work’ in Career Guidance ... and how to make them ‘work’ better! Chintha is an HCPC registered British Psychological Society (UK) chartered psychologist specialising in talent assessment & development nationally and internationally. And the Career-Launchpad is a bespoke career coaching programme developed specifically for young people.

2. ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION Holiday Inn, Stratford-upon-Avon Friday 8 November 2013. Introduction Student Survey results Why Psychometrics do not always work in Career Guidance An alternate approach Case study Discussion PROGRAMME 11:30 – 12:30

3. Department for Education (DfE) … definition of ‘Career Guidance’ • ‘Individual students are signposted to different career guidance activities at the relevant stage of their development and decision-making’. • A loose definition with the premise is that: • a) not all students need the same level of guidance • b) Schools will best understand individual student needs • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 • Ofsted Findings – report September 2013 • OXFORD-PSYCHOMETRICS survey of student forum Nov 2013 www.thestudentroom.co.uk INTRODUCTION

4. Oxford Psychometrics Survey – November 2013 (n=62 mean age range 16-21) • So, what works and what does not work? • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 INTRODUCTION

5. Inventory type tools • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 INTRODUCTION Nearly all focus groups found the workbooks with collections of careers related quizzes or word searches unhelpful “If you already know what you want to do, the computer profiler will confirm this for you. But if you are unsure, then it can only confuse you further” (Steve, aged 16)

6. Psychometrics • ‘the science of measuring mental capacities and processes’. • Source: Oxford Dictionary Why Psychometrics do not always work in Career Guidance Career interest inventories & Values questionnaires Personality Indicators Capability tests Roy Child investigates Psychometric Tests and how to choose & Access the Right Ones. Career Matters, October 2013, Issue 12.Page 30

7. Psychometrics Why Psychometrics do not always work in Career Guidance Reberts & Mroczek(2008) Personality Trait change in Adulthood. CurrDir Psychol. Sci. 2008 February 1; 17 (1): 31-35

8. Department for Education (DfE) … definition of ‘Career Guidance’ • ‘Individual students are signposted to different career guidance activities at the relevant stage of their development and decision-making’. • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 …and how to make them work better !

9. A Two Dimensional Model of Readiness for Career Decision – Making • ‘Individual students are signposted to different career guidance activities at the relevant stage of their development and decision-making’. • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 …and how to make them work better ! Complexity High Readiness Low Readiness Moderate Capability Low High Readiness Moderate Readiness High Sampsonet al (2000) Using readiness assessment to improve career services: A cognitive information processing approach. The Career Development Quarterly, 49, 146 – 174. Low

10. A Two Dimensional Model of Readiness for Career Decision – Making • ‘Individual students are signposted to different career guidance activities at the relevant stage of their development and decision-making’. • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 …and how to make them work better ! Complexity High High Support Moderate Support Capability Low High Moderate Support Very Low / No Support Sampsonet al (2000) Using readiness assessment to improve career services: A cognitive information processing approach. The Career Development Quarterly, 49, 146 – 174. Low

11. A Two Dimensional Model of Readiness for Career Decision – Making • ‘Individual students are signposted to different career guidance activities at the relevant stage of their development and decision-making’. • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 …and how to make them work better ! Complexity High Individual counselling Career course (Small group) Group counselling (long term) Self-directed career decision making Career courses (group) Capability Low High Group (short term career counselling) Work shops Self - Help Career Services Sampsonet al (2000) Using readiness assessment to improve career services: A cognitive information processing approach. The Career Development Quarterly, 49, 146 – 174. Low

12. ‘Individual students are signposted to different career guidance activities at the relevant stage of their development and decision-making’. • Source: ‘Going in the right direction?’ Careers guidance in schools from September 2012. Published Ofsted Report, September 2013. Reference no: 130114 Thank You !