NGRF - UK National Guidance Research Forum

CAREER EDUCATION AND GUIDANCE
28th June 2006.

This day was led by Dr Bill Law. As well as giving an overview of the challenging current developments in careers education and guidance in schools and colleges, it explored the evidence-base for changes in careers education and guidance and new developing models for successful delivery. Workshops provided opportunities to focus on:- 

The implications for quality standards

Children’s trust – the future for careers education and guidance

The new 14 to 19 year old agenda

Using positive role models in aspiration raising

Research and models of delivery of careers education and guidance

Delegates during the day raised the following questions, to which you can add your own thoughts and comments using the discussion features on this website.  You will need to join the site to contribute to discussions.

Key Questions raised in the day

• What will be the careers co-ordinator’s, careers teacher’s  and outside agency adviser’s roles in three years time in the average school?
• How do we encourage young people to think and decision make independently?
• Is there an argument for the creation of a cross-sector, lifelong learning group to be a voice for CEG at government level? (also to enhance research and staff development provision)
• Will the forthcoming quality standards be sufficient to prevent a return to the pre careers service privatisation scenario (1993) of very disparate guidance funding levels, as we move to children’s trusts and “single pot” local area agreements
• If careers advisers are a nation – will there ever be a state again?
• What should be the ‘entitlement’ for CEG for a 14 year old
  -from whom
  -how?
• Many sixth form students are so focussed on going to University they won’t even consider other possibilities. How and should guidance practitioners encourage them to consider other options?
• Isn’t the specialised diploma more or less the same as GNVQ?
• Many young people have “habits of mind” (as described by Dr Bill Law). Do they need to question these before being able to consider “changing mind”? Is there a difficulty around lack of security to move forward and the need to know that there is something to go back to , a viable alternative, a bolt hole? How do we give young people confidence to change the mindset and what ongoing support do they need to copy with a “change of mind”

This website also includes resources on the theme careers and the curriculum which you can access via this link.