There has never been a more important time for all young people to have access to high-quality guidance—with education maintenance allowance going, the introduction of tuition fees and rising unemployment. Brian Lightman, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
Our Approach
We help schools and other education institutions to implement high-quality careers information, advice and guidance (IAG). Our approach is based on our 5-phase ‘framework for action’, which ensures that young people get the IAG most appropriate to their needs and aspirations:
1. Understand the young people
Using the relevant data supplied by the school and feedback from key staff, we consider and prioritise the needs of each individual pupil. We don’t take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach; we work towards understanding your school’s particular context and needs, taking your knowledge of your pupils as the starting point for our work.
2. Identify the required careers IAG interventions
Based on our understanding of the needs, we will then identify the careers IAG interventions needed to support each individual. The range of interventions offered will vary from pupil to pupil—whether simple signposting or resources for pupils with well-thought-out ideas or intensive one-to-one support for young people needing extra help.
3. Establish careers IAG support mechanisms
Once we understand the scope and range of interventions required, we’ll work with you to deliver them to the highest quality and best value. The provision of careers information, advice and guidance may be very fragmented in the near future as local authorities and schools adjust to their new responsibilities under the Education Act. We will help you to make the best of school-based provision and to access external provision through the all-age careers service and the local authority’s services for vulnerable young people. Where there are gaps, we will plug them with high-quality careers IAG provided by qualified, experienced careers advisers.
4. Manage transitions and tracking
Our services for young people can continue even after they have left school, with a supported transition into their first destination as well as tracking of their progress. We can work with post-16 providers and the local authority’s services in supporting you to meet your new responsibilities for tracking.
5. Promote positive IAG images
We’re confident that our approach to supporting young people with their careers IAG needs will result in more young people making the right choices of provision at the right level for them. We will promote, and feed back into the school community, positive images of the pathways undertaken by past pupils in order to raise aspirations and attainment and to reshape future careers IAG provision.
