Editorial Comment:

Focus

This study is a follow up study to the baseline study outlined above. Again, the DfEE commissioned it. The main foci of this evaluation were to assess change and to identify the impact of enhanced careers education and guidance provision. In particular, the research sought to identify:

• The main changes that had taken place in provision since 1994/95;
• The extent of change over time in young people’s career related skills;
• The influence of different types of school and provision on both changes in skills and rates of change in skills;
• The relationship between careers-related outcomes and specific careers education and guidance activities.

The research drew on interview data from 93 school and careers service staff, based in 30 of the 40 schools involved in the original baseline study. In addition, survey data on the careers-related experiences, attitudes and understanding of 7,562 students who had recently completed Years 9 and 10 was added to the data already available from the 5,822 young people who completed the 1995 baseline survey in those 30 schools.

Findings

CEG PROVISION IN SCHOOLS: HAS IT CHANGED?

• The perception of many careers co-ordinators was that there had been little overall change in the extent of school provision of CEG. However objective data collected form schools and the data collected from students, indicated that there has been some overall increase in the provision.
• Careers education and guidance programmes in schools now include a higher level of contact with careers advisers for students in Y9 and 10.
• Although the broad outline of careers education and guidance programmes has not altered substantially since 1995/6 many schools and careers services seem to be developing clearer rationale for their provision.
• Access to resources still poses problems in some schools.
• On the whole, the closer integration of school and careers service work that was beginning to be noted during the baseline study had continued. However, there was still a question as to whether they were making the most appropriate use of each other’s skills.

THE IMPACT OF SCHOOL PROVISION ON STUDENT OUTCOMES

There have been significant increases in young people's opportunity awareness (8% increase in average scores), factual knowledge, (2% increase in correct responses) careers exploration skills (5% increase in mean scores) and confidence in their transition skills, (increase of 6% in mean scores) since the baseline study was conducted.

THE IMPACT OF ENHANCED PROVISION ON STUDENT CAREERS-RELATED SKILLS

Self-Awareness

Levels of self-awareness were increasing at a faster rate in guidance community schools than in cases of pyramidal or parallel provision (annex for definitions). The dominant factor in developing such awareness appeared to be a whole school approach to key skill development that included a coherent careers education and guidance programme. Young people's ability to take consideration of their strengths and weaknesses (in other words to apply their self-awareness) when making careers-related decisions was relatively low: only eight percent demonstrated consistency. The ability to apply self-awareness appeared to be positively associated with opportunities for appropriate timely help from careers professionals. Other factors, such as a range of transition and information gathering activities, as well as individual discussions with teachers, family and friends were also important. Girls were significantly more likely than boys to demonstrate an ability to apply their self-awareness to the decision-making process, although they were less likely to feel they knew precisely what their strengths and weaknesses were.

Career Exploration Skills

There was little clear evidence, as yet, that young people systematically carried out careers-related research. Careers exploration skills were highest in guidance community schools, but lowest in schools where CEG provision was predominantly in parallel mode. Skills were increasing at a faster rate in schools in which there was a tendency to low levels of ability. They were also increasing more quickly in cases of parallel provision although this may reflect the low baseline of skills in such schools. Career exploration skills were most effectively developed where a comprehensive programme of CEG (including computer search activities, individual discussions and a range of lessons and group work sessions) was delivered by trained, specialist staff in association with members of the careers service.

Opportunity Awareness

High levels of opportunity awareness, underpinned by a high level of factual knowledge were most evident where young people had taken part in post-16 discussions and classes that involved professional input. A wide range of careers education and guidance activities, including the use of computer databases, also contributed. Levels of factual awareness were low, with few young people demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the options open to them. Levels of overall opportunity awareness were growing fastest in schools in areas of high social or economic deprivation and where there was a tendency towards lower academic ability amongst students. This awareness was increasing significantly more slowly in schools in which CEG provision was delivered primarily in parallel mode. Boys were more likely than girls to have reported careers-related activities with careers advisers and teachers. Girls tended to identify family and friends as preferred sources of information. Boys expressed a greater level of confidence in the awareness of post-16 opportunities, a confidence that was also reflected in their higher levels of factual knowledge.

Transition Skills

Generally young people still lacked confidence in their ability to cope with aspects of transition that took place outside familiar situations. Transition skills appeared to be particularly developed where young people had been involved in specific transition activities, where there was substantial input from careers professionals and where they felt that the individual help they had received had made them more confident. Transition skills were greater, and growing at a faster rate, in schools based in areas of high deprivation. Boys continued to display greater confidence in their transition skills than girls.

Decision Making Skills

The highest levels of decision making skills appear to be most significantly associated with opportunities to explore different options using materials from writer, computer based and verbal sources. The lowest levels of decision-making skills were found amongst students in schools where parallel provision was the dominant mode of careers education and guidance delivery. As yet, the range of careers-related activities in which young people take part does not appear to have made a significant impact on their decision-making skills.