With the education watchdog Ofsted recently stating that schools’ career services are not up to standard, I thought I’d start this issue by focusing on their recent comments.
According to Sir Michael Wilshaw, three quarters of schools visited by Ofsted were reportedly not delivering effective careers advice. He commented last month that, "It’s worrying that the new arrangements are failing to provide good guidance." Of course while this situation may be true, it’s also true that these comments come at a time when money and resource to support careers guidance have come under increasing pressure.
Since 2012, schools have been responsible for providing their own careers guidance but often lack the in-house skills/training to deliver quality provision and also don’t have the funding to buy in external support.
I’m sure we all agree that good career advice can help shape the direction that school pupils take in life after school. It guides their choice of education, creates aspirations, goals and personal drive. After all, the ultimate aim of all our education from childhood and throughout adulthood is about getting on in life and fulfilling our personal potential. For many young people leaving school this ultimately translates to getting on in our chosen careers and professions.
There are many routes to beginning this journey and it really does start at school age. Making the right choices at school can shape a child’s life forever. What was a particular concern for Sir Michael Wilshaw was the lack of employer involvement and a propensity to promote academia over vocational training, resulting in young people leaving education unaware of the full range of options available to them. These findings from Ofsted are also supported by research from the National Union of Students which found that more than 50% of university students had not been told about apprenticeship opportunities available.
As an Awarding Organisation who offers over 400 vocational qualifications and Apprenticeships, this is a startling figure and a real shame for the individuals affected. Of course, academia is right for some but equally so too a vocational pathway is the right choice for others.
The issue of children knowing all their options is particularly pertinent as youth unemployment figures rise again to 21% with apprenticeships forming a key part of the government strategy to tackle this problem.
There are many tools out there to support career advice in schools. One such tool is our V Cert Career Cards. Timed with the launch of the new vocational qualifications, each one can be used as a great resource for individual and classroom based careers advice sessions. Each card gives the reader a real perspective of the opportunities open to them after their Level 2 V Cert studies. You can view each Career card by going to the ‘support materials’ section on each of the below links:
Level 2 Certificate in Creative Studies: Art and Design
Level 2 Certificate in Creative Studies: Graphic Design
Level 2 Certificate in Creative Studies: Interactive Media
Level 2 Certificate in Creative Studies: Music Technology
Level 2 Certificate in Creative Studies: Performance Skills
The PDF documents can also be used during parent evenings and Key Stage 4 options meetings. Each V Cert Career Card is packed full of useful information about the subject’s sector and there are lots of handy web resource links on there too. The cards include information about Level 3 qualifications and progression routes, plus they each outline a wide range of job roles.
If you’d like to find out more detailed information about our qualifications and services, including our new V Certs then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us by calling 0191 239 8000 or emailing [email protected].
