Editorial Comment:

Focus of the Study

This report is based on a two-year NICEC project on guidance aspects of the Enterprise in Higher Education Programme (EHE). The EHE Programme was concerned with the ways in which teaching departments in higher education institutions could integrate careers education into the curriculum. This report focuses on the impact the EHE Programme had on the support offered to students in relation to their career planning through an analysis of the development of careers education and guidance within teaching departments and its implications for the role of higher education career services.

Phase on of the project involved three visits to five institutions that participated in the second round of the EHE Programme. During the visits semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff involved in the management of EHE, careers service staff and departmental staff involved in EHE. In the second phase, follow-up interviews were conducted with the EHE managers and careers service staff. Senior managers in the institutions were also interviewed.

Key Findings

The attitudes of academic staff towards CEG vary depending on the area of study. Those teaching more vocational courses generally regard CEG as irrelevant or a shared responsibility between the teaching staff and careers service staff. Those involved with non-vocational courses such as history tend to believe CEG is the sole responsibility of the careers service.

Although teaching departments can make an important contribution to CEG, they have a different and more limited perspective than specialist careers advisers whose role is to assist with career decision-making and transitions.

The role and importance of the Careers Service is viewed differently by policy-makers from different institutions. Some regarded CEG as an integral part of the core activity, others saw it as an additional service, the value of which must be assessed in terms of costs and benefits.

HE institutions have traditionally regarded it as part of their ’parental’ responsibility to help students with their careers choices and transitions as well as their personal wellbeing.

Careers services were developed to assist students and raise their awareness of the range of vacancies open to graduates of any discipline.

Vocational aspirations are the motivating factor behind most students’ decision to enter HE. If HE institutions can assist them to realise their aspirations, this reflects well on the institution and has a positive impact on recruitment.

Although there is no firm evidence to substantiate this claim, it is suggested that CEG has a positive impact on student motivation that in turn leads to enhanced academic performance.

CEG helps graduates to realise their potential, talents and abilities which not only enriches their own lives, but the lives and livelihood of their community.

The introduction of modularisation has increased the need for continuous access to impartial guidance from outside the teaching system on the implications of choosing different modules.

Additional Comments

CEG makes good business sense as ‘employment success stories’ - if you go to this institution you will get a job – encourages more students to apply to the institution which brings in additional revenue.

Students who are helped to recognise their strengths skills and abilities are more likely to move into appropriate employment.