Careers advice has once again been a hot topic in the news, as many in and outside of the sector have emphasised its importance, and some have criticised the current resources available to school learners and leavers.
Gatsby has carried out a survey on the current state of careers advice in the UK and made recommendations to improve the guidance young people receive going forward. In the foreword of the report, Lord Sainsbury argues that, while many reports in the past have been critical of the careers advice available to learners, the situation hasn’t improved. He cites persistent youth unemployment and the widening skills gap facing UK employers as evidence of this.
From this report, Gatsby has identified 8 benchmarks to measure careers advice against. Gatsby states: “There is no single ‘magic bullet’ for good careers guidance: it is about doing a number of things…consistently and well.” The benchmarks are as follows:
- A stable careers programme
All schools and colleges should have “an embedded programme of career education and guidance”.
- Learning from career and labour market information
All pupils and their parents should have access to “good quality information about future study options and labour market opportunities.”
- Addressing the needs of each pupil
The careers advice each pupil receives should be tailored to them based on their level and aspirations.
- Linking curriculum learning to careers
All learning undertaken as part of a school or college curriculum should be relevant to future career paths.
- Encounters with employers and employees
All pupils should have “multiple opportunities” to meet with, and learn from, employers. This can include mentoring, visiting speakers and enterprise schemes.
- Experiences of workplaces
Pupils should have real experiences in the workplace, including work visits, work shadowing or work experience.
- Encounters with Further and Higher Education
“All pupils should understand the full range of learning opportunities that are available to them”, including both vocational and academic education.
- Personal guidance
An appropriately trained career adviser should provide guidance to every pupil, particularly when “significant study or career choices are being made.”
The report also made 10 key recommendations that Gatsby believes will help schools and the government to make sure careers advice is the best it can be:
- The 8 benchmarks
Schools should use the 8 benchmarks above as guidance when setting up career programmes.
- The school careers plan
All secondary schools should have a clear careers plan, which should be available online.
- Destinations data
Schools should publish data on the destination of their pupils for 3 years after leaving school.
- The National Careers Service (NCS)
The government should extend the remit of the NCS to “give it unequivocal responsibilities towards schools.”
- Career and labour market information
Schools should easily be able to access labour market information.
- Curriculum learning and careers
Organisations including the National STEM Centre should “lead exemplary work” so teachers can “more effectively showcase career learning opportunities.”
- A review of encounters with employers in the workplace
Employers should take responsibility for making links with schools, and a review will be undertaken to ensure schools have enough business links.
- Employer governors
A member of every school’s governing body should be responsible for encouraging employer engagement.
- Encounters with young ambassadors
Ambassadors should be sent to schools from employers and Higher and Further Education, acting as a success story.
-
This can be both internal and external to the school, providing the adviser is suitably trained.
Gatsby is currently piloting their benchmarks in the North East of England, funding the North East Local Enterprise Partnership to run the pilot. This started in September 2015, and will run for 2 academic years. Key to this pilot is “exploring approaches to using Labour Market Information (LMI) and capturing the destinations of schools leavers.
Gatsby rounded off the report by stating: Our study has shown us that good career guidance is not complicated: it is a matter of schools doing a number of things consistently and doing them well.”
What are your thoughts on Gatsby’s benchmarks and recommendations? Do you think this will improve careers advice? Do you think they’re attainable?
