Slides from the AGR School Leaver Forum on the 25th February 2015.

1. James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager | 25th February 2015
When are young people
making career
decisions?

2. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
Who am I?
 Education Liaison and Outreach Manager at
Kingston University
 Work with ~11,000 learners each year
 Half of these are school leavers
 Part of the Widening Participation Unit
 Work to ensure that all who can benefit from HE
can gain access to and succeed within
university
 Recruitment cross-over

3. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
Why am I here?
 To look at when young people make
decisions about their future

4. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
Decision timeline
Birth
Enter primary school
Primary/secondary school transition
Start GCSEs
Begin KS5/leave school
GCSEs – YELLOW post its
University – ORANGE post its
Career/Job – GREEN post its

5. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager

6. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
When are decisions made
according to the young people?
 Survey of ~800 secondary/Sixth Form/FE pupils in 2013/14
Before today, had you thought
about going to university?
No
Yes

7. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
Yes
No

8. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
What does this say to you?

9. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
Primary school children as
decision makers
 Influence cast early.
 Socio-economic differences in attainment.

10. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
http://www.jrf.org.uk/system/files/poorer-children-education-full.pdf

11. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
Primary school children as
decision makers
 Influence cast early.
 Socio-economic differences in attainment.
 Without an awareness of a career it is
impossible to consider it.
 If that awareness is there from a young
age, much easier to choose it.

12. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/299689/bis-14-516-national-strategy-for-access-and-student-success.pdf

13. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
The two most urgent priorities for governments across
the United Kingdom should be:
 Careers education, starting in primary school,
including the development of ‘employability’ skills
and quality employer contact;
 Helping SMEs to invest in apprenticeships and
workplace training, using Chambers of Commerce
and other local bodies to encourage and support
companies’ aspirations.

14. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
So…
 Decisions are considered at a young
age
 Support is needed at a young age
 Target your work at younger age
groups!

15. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
But…
 Data from Sutton Trust Summer Schools:

16. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
When are young people making
career decisions?
 Decision making begins early
 So should our work

17. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
The EY School Leaver
programme
EY as an employer of choice
A career in professional services
A career in business
Where do I go next?

18. AGR School Leaver Forum | James Cannon, Education Liaison and Outreach Manager
When are young people making
career decisions?
 Decision making begins early
 So should our work
 Influence can be exerted late on
 Aim to work with cohorts from a young
age over their whole school career for
maximum impact