The Impact of Careers Work: making the case

1. The Impact of Careers Work: making the case Dr. Deirdre Hughes, OBE Commissioner, UKCES Chair, National Careers Council Associate Fellow, Warwick Institute for Employment Research Director, DMH Associates

2. Insight & perspective Policy Practice Research Policy Research Practice

3. Overview • Careers and labour market policies: individuals, jobs, skills and growth • Challenges: young people’s participation in learning and work • Careers impact: current prospects and future possibilities • Careers intelligence: practical approaches

4. Public Policy • Learning goals • Labour market goals • Social equity goals - Reframed to support policies for sustained jobs, growth and skills

5. Shifting paradigm in England From this… To this…

6. “There is an urgent need to raise UK Skills levels to help drive productivity, growth and jobs.” Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills “The skills and capabilities of our People are ultimately the basis for our long-term competitiveness.” Charlie Mayfield, Chairman, UK Commission for Employment and Skills

7. Intermediate Skills High Skills Low Skills UK, compared to OECD competitors, in low, intermediate and higher level skills Source: Bosworth, 2012

8. Training in the UK There are 2.3 millionbusinesses of 1+ across the UK. Of which... 59% train (1.3 million) 41% do not train (0.9 million) Of those who do not train: 15% 26% Perceived need but met barriers* Said they had no training need *Also includes small proportion that said don’t know or no reason, or that people learnt as they went Barriers cited include: i ¹ £ Cost Time Lack of information about what is available

9. Major categories of public sector workers Category 000s • Civil servants 522 • Teachers (England & Wales) 476 • Nurses (England) 408 • Police 285 • HM Forces 193 • Doctors 134 • Teaching assistants (England) 125 • Others 3,635 Total 5,778 Source: IFS Presentation not to be distributed without prior consent fromDr Deirdre Hughes

10. Training in the UK Occupation matters

11. Investment by Sector Creative & Digital £17m Public Services £12.3m Manufacturing £19.5m e-skills CC Skills Justice Skills for Health Improve Semta ERSA SfCD Cogent Renewable UK Skillset Skills Active EU Skills UKCES £75m Agriculture £3.3m Service £18.4m FSP People 1st Lantra Asset Skills Skillsmart IMI Skills for Logistics Construction Skills Summit Skills Built Environment £4.4m

12. Key labour market challenges for youth (and adults) Source: ILO, 2010a, p.54

13. Youth Unemployment (Under 25) in 2012 • Turbulent economies and fast changing political and social structures • Careers work viewed as a lubricant that supports individuals, businesses and educational institutions • Moves from learning to earning more problematic • Fewer jobs and less ‘decent work’ available • Skills of young people are generally not in high demand from employers • Not simply a case of mismatch or shortfall in skills • Youth transitions are reportedly easier and safer in Austria, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands

14. Full report available at: http://elgpn.eu

15. The changing landscape • Tougher policy measures • New responsibilities: balance between individuals, state and markets • Policy levers: • Continuing vocational training • Curriculum specific reforms • Communication between and across institutions and VET programmes • Co-financed measures • Co-training arrangements

16. Careers Learning Programme(s) What does good look like? A Practical Guide to Using the ACEG Framework for Careers and Work-Related Learning http://www.aceg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/The-ACEG-Framework.pdf Why do it? Will it really make a difference? How will you know?

17. Making a difference

18. The evidence-base • The research evidence has been largely hidden! • Key facts We ‘Know for Sure’ • Links have to be made to added-value benefits, cost savings and ‘extreme collaboration’ • Following the ‘brick dust’ rather than setting the vision Presentation not to be distributed without prior consent from Dr Deirdre Hughes

19. 10 Key Facts We ‘Know for Sure’ • Childhood socialisation influences adult work performance and job satisfaction. • The transition from school to work can be smoothed. • Knowing how the world-of work is organised eases vocational decision making and job transitions. • Individuals who have a high level of decision-making capability and a low level of life complexity generally experience less difficulty in making choices. Contacts also matter! • Career learning supports occupational choice and enhance transitions into learning and work. (Hughes & Savickas, 2009) Presentation not to be distributed without prior consent from Dr Deirdre Hughes

20. Key Fact No 2 • Morris et al. (1999) examined the impact of careers education and guidance provision on young people’s transition post-16. A key finding was that young people with more highly developed career exploration skills were more positive and confident about the choices they made post-16 and were more likely to make a successful transition. ‘The key factor that seemed to underpin successful transition at 16 was the level of young people’s career exploration skills.’ • Morris (2004) explored findings from large-scale research studies on careers education and guidance conducted over the previous decade. It is possible to identify the skills that promote successful transition and to trace links between successful transition and programmes of careers education and guidance. In particular, the importance of career exploration skills were highlighted; for example, the skills that young people need in order to use computerised systems, paper sources and people, to enable them to find out about their career options and/or the courses available to them. Presentation not to be distributed without prior consent from Dr Deirdre Hughes

21. 10 Key Facts We ‘Know for Sure’ • Congruence between the worker and the job improves performance. • Workers can learn to cope more effectively with occupational stress. • Conflicts between career aspirations, work responsibilities and family obligations can cause personal tensions and can result in lower productivity in the workplace. • Occupational segregation and skill shortages are major inhibitors to individual and workforce development • Part-time and temporary work affects the socialisation and development of adolescents. (Hughes & Savickas, 2009) Presentation not to be distributed without prior consent from Dr Deirdre Hughes

22. Practical Approaches • Database spreadsheets for systematically comparing ‘inputs’ and ‘outputs’ linked to progression and achievement rates • Tailored reports for school principals and governors • Differing survey questionnaires and approaches used for gaining feedback to feed back into curriculum / service design and curriculum delivery • Reflective journals / CPD module for recording impact and assessment of careers and guidance-related interventions • Where are the jobs? – Powerpoint template for adaptation Visit: http://deirdrehughes.org/publications/ Inspiring others as we too operate in a climate of changing fiscal policy and labour market uncertainty. Presentation not to be distributed without prior consent from Dr Deirdre Hughes

23. What’s your vision? The storyboard on careers • Measuring activities: impact on learners aspirations, achievements and attainment • Making effective use of hard & soft data • Motivating individuals: decision-making engagement & resilience • Managing expectations: career adaptability • Meaning and relevance to different individuals & groups: students, staff, parents, governors, Ofsted, quality assessors etc. Getting started: http://www.inspiringthefuture.org/employers.aspx

24. A call for ‘solution-focussed approaches’ “The symbol in Chinese for crisis is made up of two ideographs: one means danger, the other means opportunity. This symbol is a reminder that we can choose to turn a crisis into an opportunity or into a negative experience.” “The difference between try and triumph is a little umph ”

25. Thank You! For further information Deirdre Hughes, DMH Associates Greenfields, 116 Heanor Road, Smalley Derbyshire DE7 6DX ENGLAND tel: 07533 545057 email: deirdre.hughes3@btinternet.com http://deirdrehughes.org/ Skype: deirdre.hughes3 Careers policy, research, training and consultancy services at a local, national, European and international level.