By Marie Clark
Careers services, student and adult information, advice and guidance are set for change regardless of the outcome of the election. This is a contested area under current reform with a significantly different approach outlined by the Conservatives.
During autumn 2009 the Government launched a series strategy documents containing commitments to “promote the aspirations of all young people, whatever their background, and put social mobility at the heart of plans for growth and success in the global economy”.
Key social mobility strategy documents published autumn 2009:
Quality, Choice and Aspiration: A strategy for young people’s information, advice and guidance – measures to modernise careers education to make it accessible for today’s generation of young people and ensure they have equal access to the careers of their choice.
Higher Ambitions – measures to ensure wider and fairer access to Higher Education, a high-quality experience for all students and more flexible courses to reflect the reality of modern working lives.
Skills for Growth – measures to give people greater choice in their training including the national roll out of Skills Accounts and offer apprentices alternative routes into higher education and the professions.
The increased number of young people not in education, employment and training (NEETs) and rising graduate unemployment levels have raised information, advice and guidance and careers advice up the political agenda.
The long-awaited Quality, Choice and Aspiration report set out plans for:
Reports and taskforces in the pipeline
Taskforce on the Careers Profession - Due to report: summer 2010
Yet to launch officially, but will eventually be made up of employers and careers guidance professionals. It will be tasked with attracting, retaining and motivating well-qualified professionals. Its biggest challenge, according to professionals, will be simplifying entry routes to the workforce.
Education and Employers Taskforce - Due to report: summer 2010
The Education and Employers Taskforce includes education representatives, employers and employer representative bodies. Its purpose is to assist schools and colleges form effective partnerships with employers to provide young people with the skills to achieve their potential. They will release a report on how employers can support high quality IAG provision in summer 2010.
Review of skills requirements for careers professionals - Due to report: spring 2010
Lifelong Learning UK and the Children's Workforce Development Council are conducting a joint review of skills requirements for careers professionals, with a view to developing a qualifications and training framework.
Their findings will feed into the work of the Taskforce on the Careers Profession.
What the Conservatives say they would do
“A revolution in careers advice”
http://www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Universities_and_Skills.aspx
Election Caution
Many of the current proposals for changes in IAG are subject to uncertainty because of the election since few will be enshrined in legislation or statutory instrument by May.
Any reports, such as those above, that are scheduled for “spring or summer” should be assumed to fall into this category. Responsible civil servants will aim to ensure that policy, structural or management change which might be contested, dropped or reversed after an election does not go into the system if change cannot be enshrined prior to an election. As with the review of higher education, it might be thought that some reports have been deliberately timed to straddle and election.
Useful Links:
Quality, Choice and Aspiration - A strategy for young people's information, advice and guidance
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0202
Relevant upcoming events
Graduate Employability - what graduates want and employers need
Wednesday 3 March 2010 at the QEII Conference Centre, Westminster, London, SW1
For more information: http://neilstewartassociates.com/jb276/
Information Advice and Guidance – highlighting opportunities, realising potential
Tuesday 23 March 2010 at the Inmarsat Conference Centre, London, EC1
For more information: http://neilstewartassociates.com/jd230/
23 January 2010
Marie Clark. Senior Account Manager, Head of Education and Skills and Head of Home Affairs, Policy Review Intelligence
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