1. Career conversations:
the perfect storm
Dr Deirdre Hughes
8th November 2017

2. Overview
The
journey so
far
Lessons
learned
Evidence
and
practice
matters
Where
next?

3. Context
Operation of the labour market and expectations of
young people and adults
Technological change, forces of globalisation and BREXIT
STE(A)M skills shortages and gaps
Job quality and skills requirements
Curriculum reform – academic and vocational e.g. new
‘T levels’
Institutes of Technology
Infra-structure, political and
culture change

4. Politics

5. Voices of young people
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5Y-
ONvC2rM

6. Voices of adults
The traditional notion of a three-stage
approach to our working lives – education
followed by work and then retirement is
beginning to collapse……
Adult education: Too important to be left
to chance (Hughes, et al, 2016); Adult
education: Important for Health & Well
being (Hughes & Adriaanse, 2017)

7. Challenges
 Keep more people switched on to learning
 Encourage them not to close down opportunities
too early
 Broaden horizons and challenge inaccurate
assumptions
 Create relevant experiences and exposure to the
world of work

8. Industrial Strategy
“Our improved education and skills system must be
supported by high quality careers provision…Careers
provision continues to be patchy and inconsistent…both in
schools and later in life. The government is reviewing the
current careers offer for people of all ages, and will build on
the best international evidence to publish a comprehensive
strategy later this year for careers information, advice and
guidance” (p.45)

9. Ministerial focus – 2012 -2017

10. Lessons learned: Infrastructure
Schools, colleges, universities
Local authorities - targeted services
National Careers Service - Inspiration agenda
Careers and Enterprise Company
Jobcentre Plus in schools
National Citizenship Service
HE and Apprenticeships e.g. UCAS and NAS
Other local and national initiatives e.g. LEPs, charities, social
enterprises, sole traders…
Statutory guidance……a new careers strategy

11. New challenges
UK Office for Budgetary Responsibility (OBR) estimates
more fiscal tightening over the next four years,
particularly in the public sector (Oxford Economics, 2017)
Local authorities in England lost 27 per cent of their
spending power between 2010/11 and 2015/16 in real
terms. Some services have experienced cumulative cuts
to the order of 45 per cent (JRF, 2015)
National Audit Office indicates schools in England must
reduce spending by 8per cent per pupil by 2020 - the
biggest real terms cut in a generation (NAO, 2016)
New funding allocated though continued regional
disparities

12. Social mobility

13. Apprenticeships

14. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Hair and beauty
Transport – Bus and coach
Transport – HGV
Housing and property management
Transport – Maritime and boat
Construction – construction trades
Environmental health and safety
M&E – Defence
Transport – Automotive
Agriculture, horticulture and animal care
Power and utilities
Transport – Aviation
Transport – Operations
Construction – operations
Culture and heritage
Fashion and tailoring
Retail sales and customer service
Security, safety and emergency services
Arts, crafts and design
Construction – architectural
Food and drink
Sales and marketing
Construction – surveying
M&E – Design and development
Construction – site management
Freight, logistics and distribution
M&E – Aerospace engineering
M&E – Automotive engineering
Construction – building services engineering
Publishing and journalism
Sports and leisure
Legal services
Hospitality and tourism
M&E – Civil engineering
Performing arts, broadcast and media
Science and research
M&E – Manufacturing
Construction – civil and structural engineering
Financial services, banking and insurance
M&E – Electrical/electronic engineering
Social work
Public sector
Education and training:
Digital industries and IT
Business, management and administration
Healthcare, nursing and dentistry

15. Gatsby Principles (2014) & Area Frameworks (2017 - 2022)
A stable programme
Learning from careers and LMI
Addressing the needs of each pupil
Linking curriculum learning to
careers
Encounters with employers and
employees
Experiences of workplaces
Encounters with FE and HE
Personal Guidance
Young People
 Equity of access
 At least 100 hours of experiences of
the world of work for all young
Londoners
 A personalised digital portfolio
 Extra support for vulnerable groups
Leadership and accountability
 Clear policy commitments
 Strong governance and
management to ensure the
institution supports all students to
relate their learning to careers and
the world of work from an early age

16. Gatsby Principles (2014) & Regional Frameworks
(2017 - 2022)
 Trained professionals
 Relevant access labour market
intelligence/information (LMI)
 Formation and development of
‘career partnerships’ to share
expertise and resources

17. Building a careers offer for
young people

18. BCCDAP’s aim is to ‘Develop Career Ready
Young People’

19. Ambitions Black Country:
The Framework
100 hours
experience of the
world of work
Personalised
Digital
Portfolio
Relevant
access to
Labour Market
Information
Clear policy
commitments
Strong
governance and
management
Trained
professionals
Extra support
for vulnerable
groups
Develop
careers
partnerships
Equality of
access

21. Tools to ‘open up’ career
conversations

22. Identity
Experiences of Work
Performances
Evidence
Network
Experience
Choice for next step
Reflection on qualities
and motives
Work explorationCareer action
Networking
New Forms of Career Conversations
Dialogue
Estimate chances
Discover chancesCreate chances
Exploit chances

23. You Can…..

24. Some useful resources
Hughes, D. & Meijers (2017) New School for Old School: Guidance and Counselling,
Editors, International Symposium Series, British Journal for Guidance and
Counselling, Vol, 45, No.2, April 2017.
Hughes, D, & Adriaanse, K. (2017) Adult Education: Important for Health & Well
Being, University of Warwick, Institute for Employment Research (IER), Nov, 2017
Hughes, Mann et al. (2016) International Literature Review: Careers Education with
Education and Employers, London. Visit:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Careers_r
eview.pdf
Hughes, D. (2016) Informed and impartial careers information, advice and guidance:
reaching out to support the apprenticeship agenda? In Way, D. (ed.) A Race To The
Top – Achieving 3 million more apprenticeships by 2020, University of Winchester
Press, July 2016.

25. Thank you
CONTACT: Deirdre Hughes
Email: deirdre.hughes3@btinternet.com
Tel: 07533 545057
Visit:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/peo
ple/dhughes

26. • Hughes, D. & Meijers (2017) New School for Old School: Guidance and
Counselling, Editors, International Symposium Series, British Journal
for Guidance and Counselling, Vol, 45, No.2, April 2017.
• Hughes, Mann et al. (2016) International Literature Review: Careers
Education with Education and Employers, London. Visit:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publicatio
ns/Careers_review.pdf
• Hughes, D. (2016) Informed and impartial careers information, advice
and guidance: reaching out to support the apprenticeship agenda? In
Way, D. (ed.) A Race To The Top – Achieving 3 million more
apprenticeships by 2020, University of Winchester Press, July 2016.
USEFUL RESOURCES:
https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/news/
www.educationandemployers.org/research-main
References