Embedding career as context

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Embedding career as context
Robin Mellors-Bourne 16 September 2008
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Outline

• Making the case
• Examples
• Think about our own materials
• Issues

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Evidence for a shift

• STEM Programme (2006) careers gets 1 mention
  as a subset of extension activity
• Science Learning Centres (2005)careers content
  is not in our remit
• Sainsbury (2007)STEM careers advice should be
  built into the school curriculum. We recommend
  careers advice is built into CPD for subject
  teachers. NB. caution here
• DCSF AP-8 project (2007/08)specifies broad
  target audience for raised careers
  awarenessNational STEM Careers Coordinator
  appointed

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Why embed careers awareness?

• Some young people are actually thinking about
  career (more with age)
• Different hooks or learning styles (one aspect of
  making it real)
• Their parents are almost certainly thinking more
  about career
• Government increasingly looking at skills/labour
  force, and educations role as the supply
  pipeline
• Industry wants us to as part of the deal
• It will help the careers staff!

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The aim when making subject choices is to achieve
an ideal blend of enjoyable and vocational options
72
How much enjoy subject
70
Career want
45
What want to do at university
41
Exam performance
32
Balance of exam and coursework
31
Subject will get good results for
18
Recommendation
14
Desire for something new
14
Teacher
8
Extra-curricular
saying will influence subject options decision
(yrs 9 -13)
From revITalise
6
Decisions are unlikely to be made early - 1 in 4
Year 13 students are still unsure about their
likely degree subject
GCSE OPTIONS
A LEVEL OPTIONS
DEGREE OPTIONS
92
92
85
80
79
79
70
67
Q4 who have (nearly) decided subject options
mid autumn term
From revITalise
7
Older students rely less on personal advice and
more on professional/published sources of
information

• Year 9 Year 10-11
  Year 12-13
• Parents/other adults relatives 72 62 51
• Class tutor/head of year 49 47 39
• Sisters/brothers/cousins 18 18 9
• Careers advisor 45 58 52
• Educational websites 9 15 15
• Prospectuses 10 12 25
• UCAS 2 4 16

From revITalise
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Timing the interventions

• Stage How we choose Best intervention

• Primary Unconstrained Inspiration (games)
• KS 3 Fun subjects, ones were good
  at Improved teaching e e
• KS 4 Subjects we like and are good
  at Focused e e teaching quality some
  career ideas raise careers awareness
• KS 5 Ability interest career prospects Case
  studies / role models
  
  (SEAs) masterclasses?
• Post-18 Career prospects (jobs) Careers and
  labour market info employer role models

more rational (?)more careers awareness
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Embedding careers within (formal) learning

• Progressive entry into curriculum (GCSE Applied
  Science diplomas)
• Peter Stagg and DCSF AP-8 work to raise subject
  teachers awareness of STEM careers (Teachers TV
  etc timeline concept)
• Teachers need will be for simple messages and
  sources of information
• Do they want to do so? NB. 9 out of 10 careers
  staff want them to 30 have no contact
• How could we encourage them to work together?

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Embedding careers awareness within e e

• Not so good examples
• Science MuseumWhat happens if children ask
  could I be? or how could I become?
• Industry visits (preparatory and follow up work,
  teacher packs etc)
• Ambassador programmes? could there be awareness
  within training?
• Enrichment activities- STEMNET guidelines
  should raise careers awareness- plethora of
  providers and no best practice (sharing)?

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Embedding careers awareness within e e
Good examples?
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What would best practice look like?1 - for
children (and parents)

• Not prescriptive need to understand different
  motivations / hooks
• Signpost the major generic information
  resourcesfuturemorph, scenta, mathscareers,
  icould
• Leave a good but simple message(DCSF studying
  science opens up a surprisingly wide range of
  careers)
• Something to show them where this fits into their
  own process(subject decisions, careers IAG)
• Who else could they talk to and/or what could
  they do next?

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What would best practice look like?2 - for
teachers?

• Not prescriptive but
• Reinforce the good, simple message
• How to position the activity in relation to
  teaching(curriculum, subject decisions, careers)
• Information on where to get related activity
  resources
• Signpost the major generic careers resources

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Some issues

• Understand (agree?) that careers awareness is
  appropriate
• Need to identify and share best practice
• Agree a range of simple messages and trusted
  sources of information
• How to encourage providers and others to
  implement this?

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Contact
Robin Mellors-Bourne Development Director,
CRAC robin.mellors-bourne_at_crac.org.ukwww.crac.or
g.uk