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Fri Jul 23rd, 2010 10:19 p.m. |
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| With the 'cold winds' of economic 'reality' biting at the heels of local government is there actually going to be a future for a discrete Careers Adviser role working in English secondary schools in the near future? (Or have we been drinking in the 'last chance saloon' these past 10 years and not actually proved the value of what we do to anyone? |
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Thu Dec 10th, 2009 3:57 p.m. |
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| It seems secondary schools want specialised input from careers advisers on helping young people develop the transferable skills necessary for use in the future labour market. The schools argue that no-one knows what jobs are going to be there in future so why bother with careers advice. Any views whether they're right or not? |
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Wed Jun 10th, 2009 0:15 p.m. |
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| Wed Jun 17th, 2009 1:29 a.m. |
| Aminder K Nijjar |
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My organistaion has been addressing the thorny problem of how to improve the standard of the guidance interviews that are delivered. We have put a lot of work into training, coaching and assessment, which has paid off, but we now feel we need a different emphasis.
I would be really interested in hearing from anyone who had been addressing this issue and what approaches had most impact. |
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Fri May 29th, 2009 3:09 p.m. |
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| Wed Jun 17th, 2009 1:22 a.m. |
| Aminder K Nijjar |
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There is an ongiong debate in Scotland at the moment in light of the creation of Skills Development Scotland to replace Careers Scotland. Careers advisers have expressed concern at the prospect of new job titles which will not include the 'career' word: Skills Development Adviser is one suggestion. This seems to echo what happened in Connexions when even the name of the organisation didnt have 'Career' in it. Quite a number of views have been expressed in the past about the loss of the word that describes the focus of what career guidance practitioners do. Here are some comments:
Another part of the ICG's discussion forum contains a discussion around the loss of the job title in Connexions, concluding that this has meant the 'loss of professional identity'. Chris Evans himself, in the same forum, states: 'I think it would be beneficial to customers if the published job title described the function of the person ie careers adviser rather than generic personal adviser because it helps clarify things for the client'. (Discussion Topic: Career Guidance in General, Career Guidance in Connexions)
There's also some research into this: the OECD review of UK Career Guidance Policy, Bridging the Gap' (2003) states: 'the removal of the term 'career' from the title both of Connexions and those working within it might be unhelpful in relation to public recognition of career guidance ... career guidance for young people needs to retain a strong and visible identity'. Also, in CGT March 09 (Vol 17.1), Paul Greer's questionnaire to a sample of 50 personal advisers ('professionalism in career guidance') found, 'Connexions PAs considered their own status low, the loss of the word 'careers' from their job title rankling particularly'.
There's the opinion of another past president, Rachel Mulvey: writing about career guidance in England in the BJGC in Feb 06 (34, No 1), and specifically on Connexions, she states: 'It is no longer a specialist careers service, and the very word 'careers' has been conspicuous by its absence in the new culture ... those delivering the service are known as personal advisers with no immediate identification of those who have obtained a specialist qualification in career guidance'.
And finally there's the Scottish context: Tony Watts in Progress and Potential (2005), his review of Careers Scotland (3.5), states: 'The Highlands and Islands structure is potentially open to some of the risks noted by OECD in relation to Connexions in England, that the undifferentiated use of the term 'adviser' will make it harder for customers to discriminate between those qualified to offer intensive guidance and those not and that it might erode the specialised career guidance knowledge, qualifications and skills base'.
The title 'skills development adviser' is on the one hand too specific - skill ('so you don't deal with people who are looking for information and advice about university or college?'- but on the other too vague - 'skills development' like 'personal adviser' is non-specific. I'd be interested in hearing the views of others on this. |
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Wed Sep 10th, 2008 9:37 a.m. |
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| Thu Nov 5th, 2009 2:54 p.m. |
| Alan Harris |
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| I am the only careers adviser in a college of FE and HE. We have Connexions Advisers coming in. I previously had my own room in the Advice and Guidance Centre but now the college managment has decided without consultation to make us open plan with closely packed tables,with computer but no screens or telephone and no resources immediately to hand. We are awaiting the arrival of 2 glass "pods" which look rather like walk-in showers, as interview spaces to be shared between about 7 advisers. We are called "The Advice Shop". I feel this diminishes my professional image and ability to offer a confidential service. Does anyone have any experience of working in this kind of environment? |
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Wed Jun 4th, 2008 3:04 a.m. |
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I have just moved to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia shortly after completing my QCG, I am finding it difficult to find jobs and genreral info on careers here.
Does anyone have any info they give me or contact details of someone who my be able to help? |
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Fri Dec 14th, 2007 7:46 p.m. |
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| Sat Jan 26th, 2008 3:42 p.m. |
| Philippa |
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| I am a Connexions PA who is undertaking the NVQ, & who has previously completed the QCG. I just wanted to know how other members who have completed/or are undertaking the NVQ have found it. |
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Mon Sep 3rd, 2007 4:17 p.m. |
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I work with 13-16 year-olds who are not registered in school and am just starting work on a project focusing on this client group. While some are registered with their local education authority and home tutored by their parents or by external tutors, some have simply 'disappeared' off school rolls and are accessing very limited, if any, education. As a result, they may have difficulty in accessing post-16 opportunities and in re-integrating into a formal educational/training setting.
I would be interested to hear from members who have been been involved in, or know about, work with this client group. Is anyone aware of any innovative ways of enabling young people to access educational opportunities outside the school system?
Any feedback and pointers gratefully received!
Petra Kopp |
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Fri Jun 15th, 2007 1:15 p.m. |
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| Sat Jun 5th, 2010 9:52 p.m. |
| Careers Junkie |
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| Should careers guidance be intergrated into the job title of a personal/connexions adviser or should it be seperate with it's own job title? |
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