What's in store?

A Happy New Year to one and all!

I greet every new year with a mix of excitement and apprehension. 2010 really could be a roller-coaster ride for IAG with all the uncertainties around public sector funding and the outcome of the General Election. What will happen to the diploma? The tabloid press have rather unfairly taken to calling it the 'troubled diploma' but that's certainly not the view you get from talking to students. What will happen to higher education funding? Helping young people who are unable to secure their futures in HE will be a real headache for IAG practitioners who will also have to grapple with youth unemployment issues and whether the increasing demand for apprenticeships can be met. And what's the likely future of the different support programmes? It may be that mergers are on the cards or some scaling back of activities at the vey least.

So, why do I think that 2010 could be the Year of IAG? Firstly, some very secure foundations have been laid. We are still in the very early stages of implementing the IAG strategy and the principles of impartial careers education. Quite rightly, they are attracting strong interest from headteachers and senior leadership teams. Then, there's the new Ofsted evaluation schedule for section 5 inspections which gives IAG a prominent role in the judgements inspectors make about school effectiveness. That's also focusing the minds of senior staff. The elevation of 'equality and diversity' to be one of the three 'limiting judgements' on school effectiveness also signifies the renewed interest in ensuring that IAG makes a real difference to the future lives of young people.

Secondly, a wealth of initiatives still have to feed their way through. QCDA's work on disciplined curriculum innovation will have a considerable impact on the development of economic wellbeing in the curriculum. The DCSF resource pack to support the statutory guidance will be published in January and more TDA careers-related subject resources will follow later in the year. The EHRC is reviewing IAG and ACEG is monitoring CEIAG 11-19 and producing case studies for QCDA. DCSF are working on the parent and pupil guarantee, the career profession task force and guidance on IAG for local authorities. The key stage 2 career-related learning pathfinder project and the STEM subject choice and careers project are gaining strength! This is only a snapshot of what's still in the pipeline.

A review of Connexions services is on the agenda in the longer term which may bring structural changes to the provision of external IAG; but even with that uncertainty, I still believe that there is enough momentum out there in the schools, colleges, consortia and professional associations to make this a memorable year for IAG - a year of 'self-help' perhaps rather than policy and funding led change; but maybe that's no bad thing!

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