Careers guidance
T_h e right path
IAG: Giving the best advice
The new national Information, Advice and Guidance strategy launches this autumn and plays a key role in
ensuring students know what their options are. Joanna van de Poll discusses the changes and introduces
the support available via the Education Evidence Portal
AREERS EDUCATION possibilities available to them down a variety
C
Information, Advice and of diff erent pathways beyond the traditional
Guidance (IAG) is high on routes from A levels into university.
the government’s agenda as If careers guidance is to eff ectively
it hopes to combat rising levels of youth become embedded as part of the
unemployment and “NEETism” (not in Diploma, personal tutors and subject
education, employment or training), yet many teachers alike will all need to have a basic
schools still view this as an area that should be understanding and awareness of the issues
given cursory attention and/or dealt with by surrounding careers, training, and post-18 managed
specialist external advisors. education. by the CfBT
In the new national IAG strategy, T_h at is not to say that all teachers need Education Trust, uses policy and research
introduced in autumn 2009, schools will to have the specialist knowledge of an to inform resources, tools and best practice to
fi nd themselves with more responsibility independent careers advisor, rather, much help teachers develop these required skills.
to ensure that students receive impartial, like a GP, they should be able to provide T_h e Careers, Work Experience and
consistent careers education IAG throughout immediate advice but also recognise when an Employment section feeds directly into the
their secondary years, including the elements individual should be referred onto a specialist. new approach to delivering careers education
delivered by the school. In schools, students will often ask about IAG.
Fuelled by media reports of youth careers within a subject lesson. So, if a question From this body of research and policy
unemployment, lack of university places, and about careers crops up in a geography lesson evidence there are four key things
the uncertainty of the new Diplomas, it is the teacher should have the knowledge and for teachers to remember when
understandable that many young people will skills to provide some level of information delivering careers guidance
have serious concerns about their futures. and advice, as well as the ability to know if it in schools – the individual,
It is important for teachers to ensure that is necessary to recommend contacting further impartiality, consistency, and
students have as much accurate and timely organisations for specialist guidance. accountability.
information available to them as possible, If the issue is not addressed at the time, It is vital for any professional
along with eff ective guidance to make the best there is a risk that the student will not want to involved in delivering careers
choices from this information. ask again and may not know who else to turn education IAG to recognise that
Careers education IAG is no longer a to for information or advice. young people
subject peripheral to school life, instead While this could seem to some teachers like are not
it should be thought of in terms of a just another responsibility to add to an already
whole-school approach. By embedding the demanding role, this is a vital service to provide
discussion of careers into the rest of the and one that can complement the teaching of
curriculum, students will be more likely to see both academic and vocational subjects.
how their studies at school relate to later life. T_h e development of careers education IAG
T_h is is particularly important for teachers within schools fi ts with current education a homogenous
of the Diploma, as it contains a vital work- policy, moving towards a highly trained group; therefore a standard careers guidance
related learning element and being a very new workforce with skills to help young people cope approach will not be suited to all individuals.
qualifi cation will bring uncertainties of how it with the complexities of life beyond the school In the past, many schools have relied on
will match up to more familiar qualifi cations. gates. For teachers, development of new skills external advisors to come in and conduct
By opening up the issue of careers and must be easily accessible and fl exible to fi t in blanket interviews with a cohort of students,
further education within a whole-school with their work/life balance. even though research has shown that this
context, students will be able to see the T_h e Education Evidence Portal, which is is neither useful nor cost eff ective. Eff orts
50 Delivering Diplomas • Volume 1 No 1 Autumn 2009
50-51 iag.indd 12 18/9/09 11:10:52
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