International Perspectives on International Perspectives on Career GuidanceCareer Guidance

Tony WattsTony Watts

Policy ReviewsPolicy Reviews

OECD: 14 countriesOECD: 14 countries World Bank: 7 middle-income World Bank: 7 middle-income

countriescountries ETF: 11 EU candidate countriesETF: 11 EU candidate countries EC: all existing EU member-statesEC: all existing EU member-states ETF: West Balkans; Middle EastETF: West Balkans; Middle East Plus othersPlus others In total, 55 countriesIn total, 55 countries

European Lifelong Guidance Policy European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN)Network (ELGPN)

Career management skillsCareer management skills AccessAccess Quality and impact evidenceQuality and impact evidence Co-operation and co-ordinationCo-operation and co-ordination

Resource Kit for Policy-MakersResource Kit for Policy-Makers Focus for 2013-14: implementation Focus for 2013-14: implementation

at member-country levelat member-country level

All-Age ServicesAll-Age Services Strong arguments in favour: Strong arguments in favour: - cost-effectiveness; - cost-effectiveness; - enables young people to be familiarised with - enables young people to be familiarised with

services they can continue to use; services they can continue to use; - avoids rigid and artificial cut-off points, in midst - avoids rigid and artificial cut-off points, in midst

of prolonged transitionsof prolonged transitions Professional spine for lifelong career guidance Professional spine for lifelong career guidance

system, working in close partnership with other system, working in close partnership with other providers: mix of service delivery and capacity providers: mix of service delivery and capacity buildingbuilding

Main exemplars: New Zealand; Scotland; WalesMain exemplars: New Zealand; Scotland; Wales

National Careers ServiceNational Careers Service Designed to build on the best of Connexions and Designed to build on the best of Connexions and

Next StepNext Step Half-baked implementation:Half-baked implementation: - Face-to-face services only for adults (NCS - Face-to-face services only for adults (NCS

providers able to market face-to-face services for providers able to market face-to-face services for young people, but not as the NCS)young people, but not as the NCS)

- Telephone helplines still separate, if with same - Telephone helplines still separate, if with same call numbercall number

- Website still adult-oriented- Website still adult-oriented - Limited channel integration and service redesign- Limited channel integration and service redesign - Limited marketing- Limited marketing

Careers Provision for Young Careers Provision for Young PeoplePeople

Move from partnership model to school-Move from partnership model to school-based modelbased model

Minimal statutory dutyMinimal statutory duty Where external services are used, Where external services are used,

contractor-supplier relationship, within an contractor-supplier relationship, within an open marketopen market

Connexions career guidance funding Connexions career guidance funding (£196m) not transferred to schools: (£196m) not transferred to schools: effectively removed (without any public effectively removed (without any public statement to this effect)statement to this effect)

Systemic Weaknesses of School-Systemic Weaknesses of School-Based Systems (OECD)Based Systems (OECD)

Weak links to labour market; tend to view Weak links to labour market; tend to view subject/course choices as educational subject/course choices as educational choices, without attending to their career choices, without attending to their career implicationsimplications

Partial: where funding is linked to student Partial: where funding is linked to student retention, tend to place institutional needs retention, tend to place institutional needs before student needsbefore student needs

Uneven: extent and quality of provision Uneven: extent and quality of provision determined by school management determined by school management prioritiespriorities

Cf. strengths of partnership modelCf. strengths of partnership model

Move to School-Based ModelMove to School-Based Model

Two precedents: Netherlands; New Two precedents: Netherlands; New ZealandZealand

In both cases, resulted in significant In both cases, resulted in significant reductions in extent and quality of careers reductions in extent and quality of careers provisionprovision

But in both cases, the previous funding for But in both cases, the previous funding for the external service was transferred to the external service was transferred to schools (if without strong ring-fencing); not schools (if without strong ring-fencing); not the case in Englandthe case in England

So reductions likely to be greater hereSo reductions likely to be greater here

NetherlandsNetherlands

Particularly relevant to England: linked to Particularly relevant to England: linked to marketisationmarketisation

OECD (2002): position of Government OECD (2002): position of Government ‘widely seen as representing not ‘widely seen as representing not delegation but abdication’delegation but abdication’

Previously one of the leading countries in Previously one of the leading countries in Europe for career guidance provision: now Europe for career guidance provision: now one of the weakestone of the weakest

IrelandIreland

School-based system: guidance School-based system: guidance counsellors covering personal/social counsellors covering personal/social counselling as well as career counselling as well as career guidanceguidance

Ex-quota formula: one guidance Ex-quota formula: one guidance counsellor for every 500 studentscounsellor for every 500 students

Formula now withdrawn: left to Formula now withdrawn: left to school to decideschool to decide

Possible Future DirectionsPossible Future Directions

Enforce the three-pronged quality Enforce the three-pronged quality framework:framework:

- professional standards (CDI)- professional standards (CDI)

- service standards (Matrix)- service standards (Matrix)

- organisational standards (QiCS; IiP)- organisational standards (QiCS; IiP) Make schools accountableMake schools accountable

Possible Directions for the NCSPossible Directions for the NCS

Resource for innovation, knowledge Resource for innovation, knowledge support (LMI) and capacity building within support (LMI) and capacity building within schools and colleges, and other schools and colleges, and other organisations, alongside its distance organisations, alongside its distance guidance services and more limited face-guidance services and more limited face-to-face services (cf. New Zealand)to-face services (cf. New Zealand)

Extend to cover all quality-assured career Extend to cover all quality-assured career development support provision, with a development support provision, with a common brand as basis for marketing and common brand as basis for marketing and public visibility/recognition public visibility/recognition

Career Support Market: Career Support Market: Roles of Government (OECD) Roles of Government (OECD)

Premise: career support a public Premise: career support a public good as well as a private goodgood as well as a private good

To grow the marketTo grow the market To quality-assure the marketTo quality-assure the market To compensate for market failureTo compensate for market failure