1. Effective employer engagement
Making best use of employers in career learning?
Tristram Hooley, Professor of Career Education, University of Derby

2. A vision for career support
Overview
The role of employers
Key roles
A vision for career support

3. A vision for career support
Overview
The role of employers
Key roles
A vision for career support

5. OECD definition
Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers…
The activities may take place on an individual or group basis, and may be face-to-face or at a distance (including help lines and web-based services). (OECD, 2004)

8. Key features information provision career assessments and tests
career counselling
careers advice delivered by a non-careers professional
curricular interventions
further study/work-related learning
other extra-curricular interventions
frameworks for reflection.
Development of careers education and associated theory as an integrative framework for these activities

9. The current infrastructure for careers
School based provision (underpinned by the statutory guidance)
Local authority targeted services
NCS (Inspiration agenda)
Careers & Enterprise Company
Jobcentre Plus in schools
HEFCE & Offa
Information sources e.g. UCAS & NAS
LEPs
Charities
Careers & Enterprise Company

10. Good career guidance (Gatsby)
A stable careers programme
Learning from career and labour market information
Addressing the needs of each pupil
Linking curriculum learning to careers
Encounters with employers and employees
Experienced of workplaces
Encounters with further and higher education
Personal guidance

11. A vision for career support
Overview
The role of employers
Key roles
A vision for career support

12. Who can you get support from?
Young people
Teachers
Employers
Careers professionals
Parents
Other support e.g. Scouts & Guides

13. A vision for career support
Overview
The role of employers
Key roles
A vision for career support

14. 10 things that really matter
Brokerage is essential
Understand what works
Understand what is in it for employers
Size matters
Understand what is in it for schools
Link to career and enterprise provision within the school
Understand what is in it for young people
Don’t waste my time
Deal with the health and safety worries
Get in for the long haul

15. #1 Brokerage is essential
Education and employer links don’t just happen. They require prolonged effort.
It is difficult for schools to manage employer liaison directly.
The existence of a brokerage agency, brokerage professionals and a brokerage system are therefore critical.
You make it all happen!

16. #2 Understand what works

17. #3 Understand what is in it for employers
Solving skills shortages
Recruiting the right people
Developing the workforce
Growing a responsible brand
Employers motivations

18. #4 Size matters
Large organisations find it easier to work with schools that smaller organisations.
But… most people work for smaller organisations.
Think about how far the employers that you are working with are representative of the economy.
What can you do to involve smaller employers?

19. #5 Understand what is in it for schools
Schools have a statutory duty to provide career guidance. This covers the provision of employer interactions.
Ofsted are attending to school’s careers and enterprise provision more than in the past.
Parents are also enthusiastic about careers and enterprise provision.
Good careers and enterprise provision supports many of the core objectives of schools: attainment; school engagement and progression.

20. #6 Link to career and enterprise provision within the school
The school’s career and enterprise provision is where young people make sense of the employer engagement experiences that they are having.
Do you know what the school’s programme looks like?
How are you helping them to develop it to accommodate and make use of more employer engagement activities?

21. #7 Understand what is in it for young people
Improved motivation
Improved contextualisation of learning
Improved attainment
Greater understanding of career pathways
Clarification of career aspirations
Improved chance of making a positive transition
Remember: There are benefits for employer interactions at all ages. Not just 14+ where most of the activity currently takes place.

22. #8 Deal with the health and safety worries
Both schools and employers are risk averse.
No one wants to get in trouble for things that they don’t have to do.
You need to understand liability and be able to advise on responsibility for health and safety checks and safeguarding.

23. #9 Don’t waste my time Both employers and schools are time poor.
Think about how much time you are asking them to give.
Remember that brokerage should make things quicker and easier to do.

24. #10 Get in for the long haul
Good relationships between schools and employers aren’t made over night.
Building long lasting relationships is more important than achieving flashy ‘quick fix’ interactions.
If in doubt think ‘how can I make sure that these people are still speaking in three years time?’

25. References
Bimrose and colleagues (2014). Understanding the link between employers and schools and the role of the National Careers Service. London: BIS.
Deloitte. (n.d.). Helping Young People Succeed: How Employers Can Support Careers Education. London: Education and Employers Taskforce.
Gatsby Charitable Foundation (2014). Good Career Guidance. London: Gatsby.
Hooley, T. (2014). The Evidence Base on Lifelong Guidance. Jyväskylä, Finland: European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN).
Hooley, T., Marriott, J., Watts, A.G. and Coiffait, L. (2012). Careers 2020: Options for Future Careers Work in English Schools. London: Pearson.
Hallam and colleagues (2015). The Role of Brokerage Within Career Guidance: A Literature Review. London and Derby: SQW and the International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.
Hutchinson and colleagues (2012). Developing Business. Developing Careers: How and Why Employers are Supporting the Career Development of their Employees. London: UKCES.
The Careers & Enterprise Company. (2016). What Works in Careers and Enterprise? London: The Careers and Enterprise Company.

26. Summary
The current policy model requires effective careers provision to be driven by schools.
The Gatsby Benchmarks provide a strong framework for school’s provision.
Within this there are a range of complementary and overlapping roles.
The employer role is a very important part of this.
But employers need to be treated well and used intelligently if everyone is going to benefit from their involvement.

27. Tristram Hooley Professor of Career Education
International Centre for Guidance Studies
University of Derby
@pigironjoe
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