15 April 2010
Explaining careers education to other people is really quite tricky. Everyone has their own ideas about it which may be less than flattering especially if they had a poor experience of it at school. Some see it as about information-giving and about sorting people out. Tilda Swinton thinks that asking 'Do you know what you want to be?' is a horrible question to ask a child and I agree with her. I can see some point in asking 'Do you know what you don't want to be yet?' because at least then you can assess the extent of the damage that stereotypes have done to children's thinking; but that's my point. Careers education is about stimulating children's thinking and feeling. It is a learning activity intrinsically linked to information giving and guidance but not to be confused with them!
I find it useful to hold different models in my head to explain careers education to tutors and subject teachers. The fewer parts to the model the better! I can describe the aims of careers education using the SCAA (now QCDA) three-part model that focuses on young people's self development, career exploration and career management. The 'High Five' message from The Real Game series also resonates with other people. This is also 'big picture' stuff that can provide a compass for learners and staff. (The principles are follow your heart, focus on the journey, access your allies, learning is ongoing and change is constant). So what about the new principles of impartial careers education? There are six of those which is not so easy to remember; but I've come up with a mnemonic for that: NAPPIES! OK it has seven letters but you'll see how it works in a moment:
N = responds to the Needs of each learner
A = raises Aspirations
P = helps young people to Progress
P = empowers young people to Plan and manage their own futures
I = provides comprehensive Information and advice
ES = actively promotes Equality of opportunity and challenges Stereotypes
These too send out powerful messages about the scope and value of careers education. It's early days yet, but I hope more and more teachers and advisers will use them when planning their career learning activities. Planned activities could be mapped against the six principles and a rule of thumb could be that unless an activity contributes to at least three of the principles it is not worth doing! What do you think?
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Having worked in this area as a teacher of vocational education subjects, work-experience co-ordinator, Head of Careers and Careers Education/Careers Consultant, I receive more complaints about the way that Connexions and other Careers Advisers expect students of all ages to give immediate thought and a coherent, cohesive, informative ........ reply that gives much substance to information that could be useful to an adviser.
I have always been told it is the way advisers have been 'trained' and qualified. I can only believe that they are under the misapprehension that all students, or even a few, have been given access to information and guidance that will have helped them to form some idea of their future aspirations, beyond those ideas and concepts that they may have come into contact with through family, school or friends.
Therefore, unless there is time given to all students within and outside the curriculum from Primary through to Secondary, Tertiary and Higher Education, many students will remain oblivious of what there is available, what their interests, qualifications and inspirations could lead to and the various number of ways they could pursue their dreams.
It is time for Connexions and Careers Companies, yes I know some are already involved in developing new strategies to support CEIAG, but without wholescale Careers Workforce re-training and close involvement with Diploma Lines teaching and career-related aspects of each, there will be little change in the criticisms of the work done by many very dedicated personnel.
I also firmly believe that one factor with enormous effect on this aspect of 'education' is the lack of status given to it at all levels, from teacher training through to Headship qualifications - very few teachers/tutors inside or outside their line of learning, unless given the job of of closely involved in the work-related units will have much to do withCEIAG.
Comments such as using ICT so that all students and teachers can access the vast wealth of CEIAG information on-line is not much use without time being made available for it within the time-table as part of some area that is 'mandatory' - otherwise it just will not be done.
I am doing some 1-1 tutoring and using careers materials from the new publication and other Aiming Higher materials and I know that students have used Fast Tomato once in Year 7 - their Careers Programme! And they are choosing GCSEs in Year 9 with very little knowledge about where they could lead. Second language students are at a greater disadvantage, not understanding the whole Careers Vocabulary.
When I asked another school to do the old Literacy through Careers - the PE Department said they used it to do PE theory and that CAIEG was done elsewhere - I knew there was very little else done.