Your say / Education
The link between education and industry
When I was at school, careers advice was somewhat limited: as far as I recall, nurse, teacher and secretary were the only options suggested.
Thirty years later it was shocking to discover how little things had changed for my daughters. Their support in school consisted of a profiling activity on a CD-Rom, which came up with random possible futures such as pest controller, traffic planner or supermarket buyer. Unsurprisingly, they have gone in other directions.
But surely now, a decade or more down the line, with information widely available through the internet and social media, things must be better?
It seems not. It isn’t through lack of effort – business breakfasts and similar are taking place in Bristol nearly every week to encourage links between education and industry. Almost every school is taking students to careers fairs and holding events to explain “pathways” and options. The area has its first university technical college and studio schools are planned to open in Keynsham and Kingswood this September.
One of Bristol’s “Learning City” pledges is a job or place in education or training for every young person. The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership has started an Employability Chartermark and other initiatives to ensure teenagers develop the skills they need for the workplace.
But how are parents and young people supposed to find out which “routes” are reliable and which will lead to a dead end?
The National Careers Service offers guidance by website or phone but does not provide face-to-face advisers.
Responsibility for delivering careers advice has been devolved to schools, but many do not have the expertise or the budget to deliver it. Research by the union Unison found 83 per cent of schools did not employ a professional careers adviser and some relied on support staff to provide information.
The all-party Commons Education Committee has criticised the Government for failing to bring in mandatory standards for careers advice. Members have told Education Secretary Nicky Morgan that the current provision is inadequate.
Ms Morgan, visiting King’s Oak Academy in Kingswood last month, spoke to teachers about how best to provide effective information, advice and guidance.
But what are the chances of her coming up with a consistent, coherent and comprehensible careers advice programme before the election in May?
Photo: Nicky Morgan visiting King’s Oak Academy
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
