Fellow North East-based educational charity Teach First have stated that all schools should have a professionally trained teacher delivering careers advice to their pupils.
In their report titled ‘Careers education in the classroom: The role of teachers in making young people work-ready,’ the charity said that at least one teacher at a school should specialise in careers advice and employability, and that this should be at the core of each curriculum led by teachers, and supported by businesses and policy makers.
The report suggests that young people, and particularly those from a less affluent background, are being failed by systems that do not embed employability into the core curriculum, a claim backed by the statistic that young people from a hard-off background are five times more likely to become a NEET (not in employment, education or training) than their more affluent classmates by age 16. This follows further research that showed 24% of learners had not been made aware of the vast amount of options available to them after leaving school.
“We know that with the right support, the right training, and the right incentives to support pupils with careers learning, teachers are the crucial part of the careers puzzle,” said Jude Heaton, Director of Higher Education Access and Employability at Teach First.
Although many educational institutions have career services and advisors in place, Teach First believe the educational system needs to be overhauled to make it a necessary part of a young person’s education, rather than as an add-on, or something they seek out solely from their parents or peers. Jude says: “There is a pressing need for careers and employability education to be improved in this country, with acute moral and economic implications for all of us – particularly those from poorer backgrounds. As those best placed to support children with their aspirations and careers choices, teachers are at the core of any lasting solution.”
Current Education Secretary Nicky Morgan agrees, and suggests she understands why educational centres can sometimes struggle to offer thorough careers advice: “Busy schools and teachers do not always have the time or training to give this crucial area the focus they should,” she said.
The government have pledged to support schools in increasing their careers advice and this is echoed across all political parties; Shadow Education Secretary Tristam Hunt further commented: “No child should be closed off from the world at the end of their street. But all too often children are being denied the information, advice and guidance that they need to make informed decisions that will shape their futures.
"This is a really exciting report by Teach First and a first-rate plan of action that puts teachers at the heart of the solution."
What do you think? Should employability be a core part of the curriculum? Is it something you’ve embedded already? How can we support you in this?
