To say things have changed, and for the better, would be a massive understatement…or would it?

The plain facts are that, after decades of investment and innovation careers guidance in England is now in a state of considerable flux and uncertainty, and access to guidance is now as much a function of a persons age and postcode as it is their need.

First…some facts on the new careers guidance infrastructure in England::

• The Education Act 2011 introduced a statutory duty on schools in England to deliver access to impartial, independent careers guidance for pupils in Years 9 – 11 (this came into effect in September 2012 and will be extended to Years 8-13 by September 2013)
• No funding is allocated to support schools in meeting the duty
• The same act removed the duty to provide careers education and work-related learning
• Local Authorities still retain the duty to ensure vulnerable young people make a positive transition to learning and employment at the end of compulsory schooling.
• Local Authorities also remain responsible for ensuring young people aged 16-19
  who are NEET receive help and support
• Local Authorities must also maintain the Client Caseload Information System / database (CCIS)
• The National Careers Service came into being in April 2010.  It replaced Connexions and Nextstep and provides information about learning and work, with a helpline giving professional advice on making the right choices. It is for everyone aged 13 or over across England
• The Service is delivered from a range of venues  e.g. Job Centres, Community  Venues, Further Education Colleges, Job Shops etc .
• 12 prime contractors deliver the National Careers Service across England.  Each contract is output related
• The National Careers Service can be accessed online, including through webchat, and  over the telephone, free from a landline, seven days a week.
• Adults aged 19 or over can access 1 free face-to-face careers advice in their community.
• It offers up to 3 free sessions for anyone at least aged 18 years who is unemployed
• There is no upper age limit
• Members of the public can also access a fee paying service

Since all of these changes there have been significant concerns voiced about access to guidance:

• The Parliamentary Education Select Committee investigated how the Duty was being delivered and in January 2013 (a fully 12 weeks after it came into effect) and reported these key findings :-
  1. “The Government’s decision to transfer responsibility for careers guidance to schools is regrettable”
  2. “We recommend that the National Careers Service’s remit be expanded to include a capacity building and brokerage role for schools.  This would include assisting schools in designing their annual careers plan, the dissemination of local labour market information on the promotion of quality standards.
  3. Ofsted are now undertaking a thematic survey of 60 schools relating to the new duty.  It will report its findings in July 2013.  On 13^th February 2013 Sir Michael Wilshaw said:

“It is really important that impartial advice is given to students on progression routes, and I am not sure that is the case. In our adjustment to our inspection framework from September, we will give the inspection of careers advice a priority.”

Careers England’s  survey of members working in schools sought feedback on how they have responded to the new duty.  The survey found that:

• Relating to the delivery of the statutory duty,  5 out of 6 schools did not plan for it.
• Only 1 in 6 schools intended to commission the delivery this new duty.
• No school would invest in the delivery of the duty at the same or similar level as previously undertaken by Local Authorities.
• There was evidence of some schools adding this responsibility into their staffs existing roles
• Current public spending on the National Careers guidance service is circa £112 million.  The overall investment (taking Local Authority and school / college spending into account) is estimated at £200 million
• This is about half of what was previously invested in Connexions / Nextstep, and is similar to the level of investment during the early 1990s

Comments from Careers England members include:

• “Government seems less joined up then ever before”
• “So much partnership work is being replaced by aggressive competition”
• “Schools are really struggling to understand their new roles, never mind paying for it”
• “At best good careers advice services to young people under 18 years of age in England will be patchy”
• Government says it wants to re-professionalise careers information advice and guidance, but it doesn’t feel like it is”
• I’ve never known the Careers Sector be in such strong agreement that these developments are wrong”
• “We must (and we will), make these changes work as best we can”

Those whose memories of poor or non-existent careers guidance in the 1970’s may well say “so what…never did me any harm…” But there is a wealth of evidence to the contrary.

Good careers guidance, ideally underpinned by careers education and experiential activity (work-placements, university outreach activity etc):

• Raises aspirations and injects hope in a climate of cuts backs and austerity
• Unlocks potential – helps individuals make realistic plans to realise their ambitions and aspirations, releasing potential skills and contribution to the economy
• Contributes to a flexible workforce – helps people think about their futures and what skills they will need
• Closes skills gaps –Helps to ensure that learners demand the skills employers need
• Supports local growth: local careers  & employability professionals using local LMI to support growth in local economies
• Underpins efforts to improve social mobility
• Generates a good “return on investment” for every £1 spent e.g. by minimising drop out / improving retention in post-compulsory learning and by matching individuals to occupations that best suit their skills, aptitudes and hopes for the future.

In short, careers guidance generates positive returns for individuals, the economy and society as a whole.

But the fact is that, as of today, an 80 year old can access free, face to face careers guidance, whilst, in many parts of the country, 13 to 18 year olds are limited to (at best) on-line or telephone-based support.  And this at a time when the choices they face have never been more complex, and the ramifications of making the wrong decisions more serious.

Mike Thompson

Aimhigher West Midlands

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In the first instance the aim of this meeting was to determine the volume of demand for this working group.  The high level of interest in this area proved undoubtedly that there is a real demand for the development/continuation of this area with the next meeting being hosted by University of Liverpool.

Jess Woodsford, Policy Advisor, OFFA reinforced OFFA’s stance on early interventions and highlighted the requirement for 2015/16 access agreement to detail HEIs interventions with key stages 2/3/4. Members were also encouraged to work towards a sustained programme of interventions from early years through to transition to FE/HEI with holistic/collaborative approaches to maximise impact alongside measurable targets.

Pia Parry, Head of Department for Childhood Studies, University of Chichester supported the event by presenting research findings on the need for Early Years interventions as early as possible.

A round table session facilitated the presentation on individual HEI’s programmes/outreach interventions highlighting the significant expertise and diverse range of activities currently being offered to the primary sector. This stimulated discussions around collaborative possibilities, sustainability and a co-ordinated approach to evaluating this area.

Programmes presented can be found on the following links:

Sheffield Hallam: http://www.shu.ac.uk/university/visit/schoolsliaison/activities.html

Portsmouth University: http://www.upforitjuniors.co.uk

Royal Holloway: http://www.rhul.ac.uk/studyhere/educationaladvisorsandschools/schoolsandcolleges/outreach.aspx

University of Winchester: http://www.winchester.ac.uk/ABOUTUS/COMMUNITYENGAGEMENT/WIDENINGPARTICIPATION/Pages/WINdowonHEPrimarySchoolsProject.aspx

University of East Anglia: http://www.uea.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/teachers/pre16/primary

University of Brighton: http://www.brighton.ac.uk/prospective/advisers/widening_participation.php?PageId=156

University of Chichester: http://www.chi.ac.uk/about-us/mission-and-vision/core-strategies/access-and-outreach/primary-project

University of Liverpool: http://www.liv.ac.uk/educational-opportunities/index.htm

University of Bedfordshire: http://www.beds.ac.uk/news/2012/march/primary-school-children-sowed-seeds-at-university

Staffordshire University: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses_and_study/partnerships/community/childrens_university

London School of Economics: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/informationForTeachersAndSchools/wideningParticipation/movingOn.aspx

Bournemouth University: http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/careersadvisors/education_liaison.html

University of Leicester: http://www2.le.ac.uk/offices/scs/activities/primary

Discussion about group membership highlighted the need to have the involvement of primary head teachers and transition support staff in secondary schools as part of the working group.

Student Hubs www.studenthubs.org have expressed their interest in exploring ways in which their work with student volunteers can complement this area and specifically their ‘Student Social Leadership Awards’ scheme. Both of these will be followed up at the next meeting.

The level of enthusiasm and interest throughout the meeting was indicative of the support for this working group to develop.  Terms of reference will be discussed at the next meeting along with the following areas subsequently identified in member’s feedback forms as areas for discussion within the group.

• Collaborative working
• A national representation of good practice
• Monitor national situation and ways to provide mutual support
• Student ambassador engagement and developmental schemes with volunteers
• Academy sponsorship
• Exploring links to national EY policy and practice
• Mentoring Programme for Year 6 students
• Addressing shared barriers to this work ie funding, engagement and evaluation

The next meeting will be on 10 May, University of Liverpool.

For further information please contact Carole Nairn c.nairn@chi.ac.uk  or Paul Adams p.h.adams@liv.ac.uk

Almost 30 people from across the UK, as far and wide as Ulster and Westminster(!), attended the meeting representing a range of sectors including HEIs, FECs, charities and third sector organisations. Members were from a range of roles which included disability support, widening participation and outreach and other guidance and support roles. This ensured a diverse spread of experiences and skills which was soon discovered when participants gave a brief overview of how their institution/organisation currently worked to support disabled students.

Examples of the ways in which members currently support disabled learners, both in terms of progression and retention include:

• Achievability Ambassadors – disabled learners who are current students and provide support in a number of ways. This included through mentoring and at Open Days and campus visits to prospective students and their parents/carers.
• Targeted work with students with specific disabilities e.g. D/deaf Learner Event and work with a local wheelchair basketball team.
• Resources in the form of flyers, videos and online materials to provide information to prospective students and their key influencers.
• Workshops delivered in schools and colleges to raise awareness of the support available to disabled students entering HE.
• Diversity and inclusion training and development for HE staff and students.
• Peer support groups and forums.
• Involving disabled students in focus groups and evaluation.

We also discussed what we wanted to achieve as a Network and the following were put forward:

• Share best practice between members and the institutions and organisations we represent;
• Provide evidence of the impact of particular transition and retention strategies;
• Focus on the transition between FE and HE so that students are not left without support when they arrive at university;
• Raise awareness of the needs of disabled learners and the support which is available amongst:
  • Learners themselves, in particular hard to reach groups such as part-time learners and adults returning to education
  • Parents and carers
  • Teachers and advisers
  • University staff
  • Create shared resources;
  • Organise collaborative events.

Some of the main discussion points which emerged included the following and some of these will be addressed at the next meeting of the Network.

• The benefits and disadvantages of inclusive and discreet events for disabled students.
• The opportunities provided by working in partnership.
• The importance of evaluation and being able to demonstrate the impact of these interventions.

There was certainly a lot of enthusiasm and support for the Network and we look forward to continuing the discussions and identify some future actions at the next meeting.  The Network will meet again on Monday 29th April 12-2pm at the University of Manchester.  The notes from the previous meeting can be accessed here. If you would like more information about the Network please contact:

• Peter Riley, Widening Participation Manager, MMU,  p.riley@mmu.ac.uk
• Stephanie Lee. Recruitment and Widening Participation Manager, The University of Manchester, Stephanie.lee@manchester.ac.uk

‘Riding the Storm: Getting the most from the widening access investment’ produced by the National Education Opportunities Network (NEON) and funded by the Lifelong Learning National Network, argues that despite increases in what universities are investing overall in widening access, many schools and colleges are not receiving the support they need as the systems to link them with universities provided by programmes like the Aimhigher and Lifelong Learning initiatives have not been replaced.

It calls upon the government’s new widening access strategy, published by BIS, to support a new regional infrastructure to allow the increased spending on widening access to HE work driven forward by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) to be used more effectively.

As the author of the report Dr Graeme Atherton, Director of NEON argues:

‘The government is investing over £700m per year in widening access work. For a relatively modest level of resources a coherent framework could be established that would allow the impact of this investment to be enhanced and many more young people to benefit from the increased efforts that the government and HE institutions are making.’

RIDING THE STORM