Social mobility low in Britain and falling
12-May-2005
Researchers from the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics (LSE) compared the life chances of British children with those in other advanced countries for a study sponsored by the Sutton Trust. Jo Blanden, Paul Gregg and Steve Machin (2005) in their study of Intergenerational Mobility in Europe and North America found that social mobility in Britain - the way in which someone's adult outcomes are related to their circumstances as a child - is lower than in Canada, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. And while the gap in opportunities between the rich and poor is similar in Britain and the US, in the US it is at least static, while in Britain it is getting wider. Internationl comparison showed USA and Britain had the lowest social mobility. Norway has the greatest social mobility, followed by Denmark, Sweden Finland and Canada, with Germany between the two extremes, but still much more mobile than the USA and Britain.
Comparing surveys of children born in 1958 and 1970, the researchers found Britain's low, and declining, mobility was in part due to the strong and increasing relationship between family income and educational attainment. For those born in1970, additional opportunities to stay in education at age 16 and 18 disproportionately benefited those from better off backgrounds. For a more recent cohort born in the early 1980s the gap between those staying on in education at age 16 narrowed, but inequality of access to higher education has widened further: while the proportion of people from the poorest fifth of families obtaining a degree has increased from 6 per cent to 9 per cent, the graduation rates for the richest fifth have risen from 20 per cent to 47 per cent.
The researchers concluded: 'The strength of the relationship between educational attainment and family income, especially for access to higher education, is at the heart of Britain's low mobility culture and what sets us apart from other European and North American countries.'
Guidance interviews
13-May-2005
The National Autistic Society website includes a section on 'Tips for interviewing people with autism / Asperger's syndrome'. Although it is primarily aimed at employers in a job interview context, the general guidelines they outline are (I think) really helpful for a guidance context.
The website points out that people with autism or Asperger syndrome thrive in a structured and well organised environment and have many strengths that are advantageous to an employer, such as accuracy, good eye for detail, reliability and meticulous application of routine tasks. However, they may have varying (but often mild) difficulties with the following:
Clear understanding of verbal and non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expressions, idiomatic language etc. They may take words literally.
Building social relationships, starting and maintaining conversations on general topics that may not be of particular interest to them.
Imaginative activity: may have narrow interests and find it hard to think in abstract ways. Their literal interpretation of the world means they are much more comfortable with facts rather than hypotheses.
The website then goes on to outline 'reasonable adjustments' that could be made by using quite simple techniques such as rephrasing questions. A really helpful resource to inform guidance interviews? Does anyone have any other insights into this area of work?
Resources for Practice
16-May-2005
Writing a CV is a crucial turning point in the guidance or work choice process for a number of reasons: not least because it represents the point at which an individual chooses to "go public" in the presentation of self in everyday life.
I am currently working with advice-resources, the national resource service for Next Steps Agencies, to develop a specification for a CV writing program or web site, that would work expecially in contexts where personal help was not available from a guidance practitioner or adviser. The definition can include tools to support the development and writing of a CV, the covering letter, the completion of an application form etc.
The aim is to get as many views as possible from practitioners and end-users as to what they would want such a tool to do for them / their clients, and I have developed three questionnaires (for practitioners, pre-level 2 users, level 2+ users. I have to write a report on this in mid-July and would welcome any completed questionnaires anyone may be able to fill in for me or can get filled in for me by their clients etc. This is in addition to a formal postal survey.
I attach copies of the questionnaire for practitioners/adv isers, and for level2+ end-users. If you feel like downloading them or can get anyone else to do so, please return the completed questionaires to me marcusoffer@postmaster.co.uk by the end of June/ beginning July 2005, to ensure you have an impact on this research.
In addition, if you or your organisation already produces or uses such a tool I would be delighted to hear more from you as one of the things I have to do is draw up a list of those who should be invited to tender for the production of such a tool , if it is decided that a new one is actually needed for work with adult guidance seekers.
I also welcome all comments or criticisms....
Marcus Offer, NICEC
