1. Skills & competencies required by career practitioners to develop internet-based practice Lancaster University Department of Educational Research Seminar Series 6 th June, 2012 Jenny Bimrose Institute for Employment Research University of Warwick jenny.bimrose@warwick.ac.uk

2. Outline Research method/findings Follow-on research Future indications?

3. ICT: Policy Context …young people today want and expect to secure IAG from a range of sources beyond formal careers advice… Our IAG offer for young people will exploit a range of digital technologies Ref: Department for Children Schools and Families (2009). Quality, Choice & Aspiration: A strategy for young people's information, advice and guidance. London: HM Government. Retrieved 26 October 2009, from http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/IAG- Report-v2.pdf. (DCSF, 2009b, p.13)http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/IAG- Report-v2.pdf

4. ICT for CEIAG: Workforce Capacity?...the knowledge base of the Career Guidance workforce which is necessary to use ICT technology can be lacking... This is not conducive to the direction in which the occupation as a whole is moving... Ref: Cobbett, D., Dodd, F., Miller, S. and Shearer, L. (2009). Skills needs and training supply for career guidance – a gap analysis. Newcastle upon Tyne: Trends Business Research Ltd.

5. Research questions? Skills & competencies: Which are required to deliver on ICT-based CEIAG? Workforce capacity: Is there a skills gap?

6. Evidence-based practice? Research: 2009/2010 (CfBT) Literature review Fieldwork Data analysis & write-up

7. ICT: Use of language Lack of consistency E-Guidance Web-based guidance Internet- based guidance

8. ICT: Current usage in CEIAG Resource: most exploited Communication: embryonic Materials: under- developed

9. Skills & competencies for ICT- based CEIAG ICT user skills Guidance skills Digital skills

10. Digital Skills Cognitive/ Physical Technical Social/ personal

11. Digital Skills: Social/Personal Communication General Knowledge Creativity Collaboration Self-Esteem Parallel processing Persistence Peer-to-peer learning Risk-taking

12. Digital Skills Cognitive/Physical Multi-tasking Logical thinking Problem solving Trial & error learning Technical Hand-eye coordination Technical confidence Web-design Content creation

13. Evidence-based practice? Fieldwork Small scale, mixed method empirical study 6 sites across England (Connexions) Varied delivery contexts and geographical locations Data collection: YP, PAs and managers

14. Data collection: Young People 7 focus groups [46 YP] 46% male, 54% female Years 8 to 13 35-60 minutes Range of materials used

15. YPs experiences of CEIAG Available services: high level of awareness Participation: high - various methods Telephone and email: low level of usage Career information: mixed response Varied search strategies: deployed National website [Connexions Direct]: low level of usage

16. YPs aspirations: ICT in guidance Multimedia information Chat rooms Email communication Social networking BUT retain one-to-one

17. Data collection: P.A.s & Managers Interviews: 11 P.A.s & 6 managers 18% male, 82% female Majority qualified [Dip CG, QCG, NVQ Level 4] CPD – high levels of participation Variety of contexts

18. P.A.s & managers current use of ICT in service delivery Limited Potential to develop this part of practice embraced enthusiastically (generally!) Brakes: ~ technological infrastructure ~ resources ~ confidence

19. Skills & competencies: findings Majority high or medium for most essential digital skills Most support required for skills in web design and content creation Overall: workforce well positioned to develop confidence and additional skills to engage effectively in internet-based guidance delivery

20. Context: shifting paradigms From this….To this……

21. ICT: Policy Context …..further integration of ICT into careers service delivery is essential for effective delivery of services, a number of key issues need to be resolved before its successful implementation can be achieved fully. These include CPD support for careers professionals…… ICT specification for the all-age service to ensure this supports fully integrated provision. Ref: Careers Profession Task Force Composite Progress Report to Ministers, March 2012

22. ICT: Policy Context …the existing funding for face-to-face career guidance services for young people has been allowed to vanish without trace, without any public announcement to this effect. Most existing Connexions career guidance services for young people have being eroded or dismantled by Local Authority cuts. Schools now have to pay for services they previously received free of charge. Ref: Careers England Policy Commentary 15B (Final Version): The Coalitions Emerging Policies on Career Guidance (May 2012)

23. ICT in IAG - Current usage? Ten recorded Different sectors TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS CEOs to practitioners Private to public STAKEHOLDERS

24. ICT in IAG - Themes Levels of integration Drivers Timelines Evaluation Future plans Organisational implications Future landscape Workforce capacity

25. Levels of integration Reactive – ad hoc response to requests Ongoing need (not part of initial training) ICT competence (tricky, sticky & leaky) Contracts – ambiguity [uncertainty + targets] The more negative experiences CAs have of technology based systems, the more difficult it is to persuade them to embrace its usage more widely in practice.

26. Technological Frames Assumptions, expectations & beliefs about ICT that are both informed by, & inform, ideas and assumptions toward ICT, are embedded within the organisational culture Incongruent, or inaccurate technological frames are associated with problems during the adoption/ use of new ICT in organisations (Menold, 2009)

27. Workforce capacity Continuum: ICT not used a lot currently - to integral to service delivery Varied examples of innovative practice, but mainly for information & administration Separate strands – little integration Social networking – a feature Ad hoc development

29. ICT & IAG: Future skill needs? Contingent on: Emerging & currently diffusing models of practice (i.e. role of ICT in delivery of services) Changing characteristics of the various sub-sectors (e.g. public v. private sector; shape of services, etc.) Shifting nature of the core expertise of practitioners (i.e. impact of the world- wide web)

30. ICT: Past, Present & Future Web 1.0 Access to information Web 2.0 User-generated content Web 3.0 Portable, personal web

31. Future indications: UKCES ……to develop a prototype database drawing on existing data sources, with the specific purpose of testing the feasibility in practice of creating a comprehensive repository of careers labour market information (LMI) over the longer term. Outcome:advice on the feasibility of developing a careers database of robust LMI, to be opened up for multiple interfaces for a range of users

32. Future indications February – March, 2012 Career database (LMI4U) Feasibility study – open & linked data Hackday Report for Ministers

33. Future indications For high quality, robust LMI to have the maximum impact when used in a variety of career-related contexts, additional support will be needed that goes beyond simple access to data. Thought needs to be given to the ways different data sets need to reflect the particular needs of particular user groups. Ref: LMI for All Career Database Project - Processes Adapted and Lesson Learned (2012) Unpublished.

34. Skills & competencies for internet- based guidance Thank you! Reference: Bimrose, J., Barnes, S-A. and Attwell, G. (2010) 'An investigation into the skills needed by Connexions Personal Adviers to develop internet-based guidance.', Reading: CfBT Education Trust, Report of an empirical investigation into the demand from young people for internet-based guidance, together with the readiness of Connexions services to deliver. (Full & Executive Reports are available online.) http://www.cfbt.com/evidenceforeducation/our_research/evidence_for_youth/advice_ and_guidance/connexions_personal_advisors.aspxFull & Executive Reports http://www.cfbt.com/evidenceforeducation/our_research/evidence_for_youth/advice_ and_guidance/connexions_personal_advisors.aspx Bimrose, J., Hughes, D. & Barnes, S-A (2011) 'Integrating new technologies into careers practice: Extending the knowledge base', Wath-upon-Dearne, London: UK Commission for Employment and Skills, http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/integrating-new-technololgies-into-careers- practice.pdf