Skills and Employability Service Briefing on Schools’ and Colleges’ Responsibilities for Independent and Impartial Careers Guidance 29th April 2014 at the Mercure Hotel, Hollingbourne

The Kent model of career education and guidance An innovative local response to national policy Tristram Hooley (Reader in Career Development)

Remember this? Hooley, T. (2012) Progression in Kent: Schools taking charge. Maidstone: Kent Country Council /

What we’ve been doing  Going back to the 10 case studies in Progression in Kent  Survey of 33 schools  Analysis of recent policy and research in the area. New publication planned for May

What the Government think the problem is… “You've got to get out there and find people, win them over, get them to raise aspirations, get them to think they can get all the way to the top. " David Cameron

…erm… but…  closure of Aimhigher  cuts to the WP budget  closure of Connexions as a national service  loss of funding for Education Business Partnerships  loss of the statutory duty for work-related learning  loss of the statutory duty for career education  poorly framed and much criticised new duty for career guidance

So what has happened?  A postcode lottery.  Some good, some bad, some indifferent provision.  A lot of reports criticising government policy.  But…  Good practice is persuasive  You can’t keep a good idea down!  Nature abhors a vacuum.  There is still policy and debate in this area.

Cutting out the middle man ‘For young people reflecting on which career path to follow no information is as valuable, no inspiration so powerful as the testimony of those at the front line of business. That is why the new careers guidance produced by my colleague Matt Hancock is all about cutting out the middle man and getting inspirational speakers in front of students to spark their ambitions. Students can’t aspire to lives they’ve never known. So we need business people to visit schools, engage and inspire.’

New statutory guidance  Schools should help every pupil to develop high aspirations and consider a broad and ambitious range of careers.  Schools have a duty to secure independent career guidance for all year 8-13 pupils.  Guidance should be impartial.  Guidance should also be embedded in a clear framework.  Build strong links with employers and other stakeholders from the world of work and post-secondary learning.  Access to a range of activities and career informants.  A website is not enough.  Schools should work with local authorities.  Schools’ can measure their effectiveness in this area both through Ofsted inspections and through the destinations of their pupils.

What is wrong with the statutory guidance  Loose  Weak on career education  Where are the careers professionals?  Ignores existing quality assurance  Poor accountability But  It doesn’t stop you from doing anything!

Employers are not the whole picture “If employer contributions are to be effective, they require logistical support, curriculum space, and receptive schools and young people. They also need to be an integral part of properly planned, delivered and reviewed careers education and guidance programmes run by schools.” Careers Sector Stakeholder Alliance

Designing school based careers programmes Career development is a learning activity which requires the acquisition of new skills, knowledge and meta-cognitive skills. There are lots of activities that schools can do to support career development. But, it is most effective if you move away from activities and design progressive programmes. Such programmes need to link to the curriculum and students wider experience in meaningful ways.

The Kent careers system Kent Learning, Employment and Skills strategy CEIAG Networks Area based careers co- ordinators CEIAG Briefings Tools for schools KELSI Employability health check Annual careers plan CEIAG Curriculum Framework Tracking Intended destinations September guarentee Activity survey Support for young people Kent and Medway Progression Federation Kent Apprenticeships KIASS Kent Choices Kent Choices magazine Kent Choices 4U Live MyKentChoices E- Portfolio Local labour market information

The Kent model of career education and guidance Activities and resources Advice and guidance (Kent CEIAG) Curriculum Careers co-ordinator Senior leader buy- in School vision

Themes in delivery  Tracking and data management  Addressing the full-range of post-school options  Employers and work-experience  Use of new technologies  Collaboration

In conclusion  The new system has been strongly supported by a well-developed and strategic infrastructure that exists in the county.  The enabling framework developed by Kent County Council has allowed careers work to thrive.  Key to this has been the counties CEIAG Network which has allowed practice to be shared and a common model to emerge.  Consequently many schools in Kent have evolved a similar model of school- based careers provision.  The model is strongly embedded in the ethos of the schools, appropriately resourced and highly flexible.

Useful links  Career Development Institute  International Centre for Guidance Studies  Investors in Careers  Kent CEIAG Framework is available ng/Skills%20and%20employability/CEIAG%20Framework.doc. ng/Skills%20and%20employability/CEIAG%20Framework.doc  Kent Choices traininghttp:// training  Kent Education Learning and Skills Information (KELSI)  Kent Integrated Adolescent Support Service (KIASS) spx spx  Kent and Medway Progression Federation  Kent Training and Apprenticeships

Tristram Hooley Reader in Career Development International Centre for Guidance Studies University of Derby Blog at

Skills and Employability Service Briefing on Schools’ and Colleges’ Responsibilities for Independent and Impartial Careers Guidance 29th April 2014 at the Mercure Hotel, Hollingbourne