Challenges for the careers sector Implementing the careers strategy Tristram Hooley 12th December Hilton Ageas Bowl, Southampton

The waiting is over…

The government’s ambition “We want every person, no matter what their background is, to be able to build a rewarding career. We want to end the generational cycle of disadvantage which means that people from poorer backgrounds earn significantly less than those with wealthier parents, even when they have the same job, experience and qualifications. We want to break down the barriers that currently mean that people with special educational needs and disabilities, or those from disadvantaged groups, experience significantly lower employment rates. We want to challenge perceptions and raise aspirations so that subject and career choices are free from gender bias and people look beyond their immediate environment to new and exciting possibilities.”

“This is an ambitious plan, but one that can be delivered by a strong partnership between Government, employers, the education sector and the careers community. “ Education Schools Colleges Training providers Careers providers The Careers & Enterprise Company National careers service Lots of other providers Employers Representative bodies Companies Professional bodies and trade unions

The Careers & Enterprise Company “In 2014, the Government established The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to be the strategic coordinating function for employers, schools, colleges, funders and providers and to provide high impact careers and enterprise support to young people (aged 12-18).”

VOTE We have a national network that connects schools and colleges, employers and career programme providers to create high impact careers opportunities for young people

It is underpinned by investment in high performing programmes £10 million invested in 85 proven careers and enterprise programmes 75% of funding in Cold Spots 450,000 young people to benefit including 25,000 from mentoring

And a set of research and technology resources to drive impact Cold Spots research To target effort Research Example – Cold spot research What works research To focus on effective interventions System research To understand what else we need to do Technology Compass Tool To help schools measure performance Passport To allow young people to keep a record

Going forwards… “We will use the eight Benchmarks of good career guidance, developed by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, to set a standard of excellence. The CEC will take on a more ambitious role, building on their progress to date by coordinating support for schools and colleges across all the Gatsby Benchmarks. The National Careers Service will be the single service that provides careers information, advice and guidance. Young people and adults will be able to access this online via a new, improved National Careers Service website, alongside a range of tools that individuals, parents and schools can use.”

Key features of the careers strategy Inspiring encounters with further and higher education, and with employers and workplaces Excellent advice and guidance programmes Support and guidance tailored to individual needs Using data and technology to help everyone make choices about careers

Highlights The Gatsby Benchmarks are now policy Every school should have a careers leader (with funded training) Schools must give providers of technical education and apprenticeships the opportunity to talk to all pupils 20 new careers hubs to be launched following on from the success in the North East New statutory guidance in January New pilots on career education in primary, career learning for adults.

What about ‘personal guidance’? “Personal guidance is important because it tailors advice to individual needs and helps people to navigate their way successfully through education, training and career choices. Personal guidance has an observable impact on young people’s careers and progression, and young people continue to have a clear preference for face-to-face support. Guidance must be impartial and delivered by qualified practitioners, putting the needs of the individual first. “

Reminder - Good career guidance Summarises existing evidence and frames them as eight benchmarks. Presents it in a way that can be understood by policy makers and acted on by school leaders. Has achieved wide support amongst policy actors and practitioners alike. The influential 2014 report

The Benchmarks 1. A stable careers programme 2. Learning from career and labour market information 3. Addressing the needs of each pupil 4. Linking curriculum learning and careers 5. Encounters with employers and employees 6. Experiences of workplaces 7. Encounters with further and higher education 8. Personal guidance

State of the Nation 2017 Based on responses from 578 secondary schools gathered through the Compass self- assessment tool in 2016/2017. http://compass-careers.org.uk/ The scope of the data is broadly comparable with data collected as part of the original Gatsby Good Career Guidance research in 2014 allowing us to see how provision has changed over time. https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/

COMPASS (www.compass-careers.org.uk)

Number of benchmarks met by schools

Achieved and partially achieved

Change since 2014

What matters? No relationship between the characteristics of the school or the labour market in which it is situated and the number of Benchmarks. There is a relationship between the number of Benchmarks achieved and the region in which the school is located. There is a relationship between schools’ performance against the Benchmarks and whether they have a sixth form. There is a relationship between getting a higher Ofsted grade and meeting more indicators that make up the Benchmarks. There is a relationship between schools which hold the Quality in Careers Standard and those which meet more Benchmarks and sub-Benchmarks.

5 ways to get your school moving in the right direction Start early (e.g. year 7). Engage all stakeholders, including parents and employers. Update your website with information about your careers programme. Join the Enterprise Adviser Network. Complete Compass every year.

5 substantial initiatives to improve your programme Develop careers content in all subjects, not just PSHE. Take advantage of labour market resources and make them available to all students and their parents. Provide ALL students with information on ALL routes. Provide experiences of workplaces for all students. Adapt existing systems to track destinations and careers and enterprise activities.

What works?

What works? Key principles that are emerging from the ‘what works’ series on effective employer engagement. Preparation and debriefing Flexibility Quality and quantity Embeddedness in wider programmes Engagement with authentic employers and real situations A learning framework provided by education and career professionals

Is guidance still needed? The challenges of the future are challenges of how individuals can manage change and find the good life. The issues that we are going to face will require new skills but they will also require new ways of thinking. We face questions of how we can live together and work together in everyone’s best interest. Guidance tries to help people to answer these questions one decision at a time.

References Department for Education. (2017). Careers Strategy: Making the Most of Everyone’s Skills and Talents. London: Department for Education. Gatsby Charitable Foundation. (2014). Good Career Guidance. London: Gatsby Charitable Foundation. The Careers & Enterprise Company. (2017). State of the Nation 2017. London: The Careers & Enterprise Company. What works and other research publications are available from https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/research/publications

In summary The new Careers Strategy opens up an enormous opportunity for the sector. It is based around a framework for young people that many of us have campaigned for. It provides a much clearer articulations of the roles of national players than we have had in the past. It offers the opportunity to further professionalise careers work with young people. We have better evidence than ever before.

My contacts Email thooley@careersandenterprise.co.uk Twitter @pigironjoe Blog https://adventuresincareerdevelopment.wordpress.com/