Are young people being deprived of careers advice?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/aug/19/sad-society-young-riots

Please see Article above about how our current government isn't investing in our youth of today. As an adviser it is really refreshing to read a article which is supporting the need for careers advice. The section I have cited below describes exactly what I myself observed in my last job.

"Connexions, the service that picks up the lost and gives careers advice to all is cut to shreds: over 30% cut already, professionals replaced with cheaper staff. Just when young people most need help on what school subjects to take, on BTecs, HNDs and apprenticeships, the government is replacing careers advice with an online service, with no one to question their choices and prod them forwards." (Tonybee) 

As I have mentioned in my other posts many certain boroughs with connexions service have already been replaced by online services in order to save funds. The need for e-guidance is important especially to the generation of young people we have today. However it doesn't take away from the one to one advice we can give to a young person and sometimes the assurance we can give to them and their parents also.

I think the focus of this article is about showing how opportunities aren't as easy as used to be. Competition for places on apprenticeship schemes and university places is higher then ever. It seems there are still opportunities for young people to gain careers advice i.e Internet, workshops etc. However the closure of services like connexions and cutbacks on sessions with actual advisers in schools and colleges could still be depriving some young on having the opportunity to talk to someone impartial so maybe some young people are going to miss out. However they should still be given a choice to decide if they want to see an adviser or not shouldn't they.

Does even more higher education guarantee you a job?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/feb/15/masters-postgraduate-guide - see article

The article above highlights some of the key points of going on to a Postgraduate or Masters after a degree. Question is how many people are willing to take the time and energy to look into all the fantastic postgradute courses that universities have to offer!! I say this because many postgrad and master courses are sometimes vocation driven i.e accountacy, teaching etc. With such courses the majority of students will know what the basic light at the end of the tunnel is.

When I have spoken to people about why they pursued further education after there degree the answer was always different. Some people did it for the further fincaincal gain others were motivated by doing something uniquely different to their current background and many just wanted that all important and essential work experience. I myself have done a postgrad graduate and although I enjoyed it I think I fit into the last category. Which is a debate I have discussed before in my other posts. I was lucky enough to obtain employment after my postgrad because of my work experience ironically the qualification I had achieved didn't seem that important because most of the people I had worked with had worked through a more vocational route. This made me think umm I have spend quite alot on that course was it really worth it. For me the answer is still yes because I learned alot about myself and helped me grown professionally. However if you find out after all your hard work there are easier routes that doesn't seem fair does it!!

Also when you talk to alot of young people the idea of even more study after the degree sometimes seems daunting to them. The costs of these courses have put some people off along with the additional years of study. If some people get a job straight after their degree and are able to have a regular wage they are happy with this and feel the idea of going back to university will be a waste of their time. Part-time courses have made things so much more flexible for parents who study and the increase of popular courses like MBAs seemed to be raising at one point.

A Masters, Postgrad or PhD all have merits and are all credible qualification but sometimes it seems like value has been eroded. I say this because, yes people are still opting to do such courses but at the end of the day people are looking for ways to enter the workforce. The experience you obtain from such higher courses can be essential and sometimes unique to employers but how many students are not willing to invest extra time into this. Alot of people I spoke to previously are put off by the cost of these courses. Yes they are expensive and with graduate loans looming over people's heads doing a further course just seems like the last thing on someones mind. There are bursaries for postgraduate courses but the key to knowing about this is important and if you don't know you lose out right.

So does even more higher education guarantee you job? Yes it probably will to do some extent but it must be remembered this isn't a route for everyone as discussed above. Also even if you have further qualifications it doesn't guarantee you are more employable either. You need to have the right skills to do a job and that isn't always something you can learn from a academic qualification, that is something you learn through life. experience :)!!

Film studies degree info!!

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jul/08/film-studies-degree

Please see article above this is a really good source of information for anyone who is interested in the film industry. It breaks down further study after your degree postgrad etc if you want to it!! As well as useful stats at the bottom. If you know anyone interested in this sector please pass it on!!

Gcse Results!!

Today is Gcse results day and it feels odd not being in a school trying to comfort a student with a box full of tissues because they didn't do as well as wanted to do. Or congratulating a pupil on their immense success. The truth is many of these young people still need to see someone even after they get their results. The thing I am wondering this morning is how many of these young people who haven't got what they wanted actual have a careers adviser to talk to this morning.   

Certain boroughs don't even have connexions centres anymore whats happening to these young people. I remember helping a young girl last year whose parents were told her school didn't even support her coming back to the school and so I needed to give her information about all the local colleges that she could apply to. If she hadn't come to see me she properly would of been claiming JS9 like so many other young people who aren't given proper guidance and support in their schools. Yes it is the responsibility of the young person but if schools don't support them what happens then. It seems in a time when careers advisers are short in numbers parents need to have some more knowledge about the options available to young people today. If schools don't provide this what happens then. 

I am sure all the connexions centres that are still open today will be immensely busy today and tomorrow with the added pressure of finding places. With the further knowledge that some courses in colleges have been completely scraped due to funding. Whatever the results today I hope young people have chosen the right courses for them and their future and seek advice about university this year if they want to go rather then next year. If they don't plan the road to university now they will potentially face more problems next year. The fees increase is not only going to deter people financially but young people will be competing with each other like life choice lottery.

Could Work Based learning happen at university!!

Please see link below 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/jul/25/white-paper-universities-training-jobs 

This article fits in with my previous post about work experience whilst learning!! The white paper the government's higher education document is realising how important employability is for young graduates. Many countries in Europe including Germany and Sweden as I mentioned in my previous post put a greater emphasis on the need for vocational learning.  

As someone who did one of their careers placements at UEL (docklands) I was able to observe the advantages of empolyability training. UEL encouraged their graduates and fellow students to seek employment in positive ways. Universities should provide empolyability training but the question is why are some universities still thinking such training is a little beneath them. 

It is clear that academics who teach at more prestigious universities may not be so willing to teach about actual work experience. If this should be case then shouldn't the government bring in people who are willing to do this. Also some universities are known for being more employable then others is that really fair? The empolyability rates for universities after 6 months from the guardian league tables indicate that some of the universities with high empolyability rates include Cambridge, oxford, Imperial UCL etc. The lower ranking universities were among London Met, Bolton and University of east London. 

Having traning programmes for graduates that coming from universities who have lower empolyability rates could prove useful. This may be a some food for thought and as this article indicates its only an idea at the moment so things may not change only time will tell.

Work Experience is for Life not just for a week!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jul/10/labour-schools-work-michael-gove

Please read this article above about what labour says about vocational education. I found this article quite interesting and think it links quite well to my previous post because many young people are unsure about what all their options are. 

One of the main problems that seems to a recurring theme with previous graduates or young people who have gone onto do Alevels is a lack of work experience. This article is saying there is more of a need to educate and train young people with the necessary work skills needed in the work force. This is essentially true and alot of people who graduate sometimes have little or no work experience at all. So what can be done about this? Yes vocational options are a great idea but what about people who still want to have a degree. Many people suggest internships and getting work experience during the summer but sometimes this can be just as challenging as finding a proper job!! So wouldn't it make sense to actually incorporate work based training for young work maybe whilst they are still at school. 

Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to learn about a specific trade and learn valuable work skills at the same time. When I spoke to young people about them reactions about it were often negative especially if the word vocational was used. Many bright students would look upon btecs and apprenticeships as something which was designed for non-intelligent people.One young person said to once 'Miss only thick people do those courses'. Indicating that young people in general didn't want to be associated with a course that makes them seem less intelligent. This is why its so important to educate them about necessary life and work skills. 

I did a group work in a secondary school with some SEN students about work experience. It was a interactive discussion about skills we use in every day life that are necessary in the workforce. For example communication, listening, team work etc. This discussion helped them to see why particular skills we learn in life can be built through education and developed in the workforce. One student who had worked in a shop gave an example of communication skills by saying if you don't communicate well with customers they will not want to return to that establishment etc. This particular group stays in my mind because it made me realise that young have alot of the answers in their heads but need to be driven  in the right direction. Also it made them realise that into order to gain a job its not just how well you do in your gcses or Alevels. Its also how much you put into the necessary life skills. I.e engaging in other activities such as sports, volunteering etc to help develop those skills if necessary.

Please see quote below about the Swedish education system. 

'Post-secondary studies include advanced vocational training (Kvalificerad yrkesutbilding) which is intended to meet the labour market's needs for the skills required for modern production of goods and services. About one-third of the course period takes place at the workplace. As from January 2002, this form of training is a permanent part of the Swedish educational system but does not belong to the higher education sector. Admission is based on three-year upper secondary education or corresponding proficiency. The training is normally intended to correspond to two years of study and leads to a Certificate of Advanced Vocational Training (Kvalificerad yrkesexamen).'

Just to summarise in Sweden they actually incorporate work related training for everyone you could say this is exactly like our work experience here. However this system is alot longer hence the two years!! Work experience here is usually 2 weeks if at best and sometimes some young people struggle to even get a placement for that!! I have not criticising the system here and know that Sweden is prominently a rich country but having something like this in our education system would benefit so many young people and help them with those essential skills needed in the workforce.

Why University?

When I was working as an adviser the question I challenged some young people about was Why do you want to go to university? Many young people in Year 13 who were eagerly waiting to hear back from Ucas who hadn't heard back from any universities or were not given offers almost seemed to feel as though this was the end of the world for them. Alot of these students seemed to be following a trend of applying because their friends had and were not aware of the other possibly choices that were available to them. In fact many students wanted to apply to universities which were not suitable for their potential grades and couldn't quite understand why they couldn't get in.

I also observed that alot of year 12 A level students were not sure if they actually wanted to do a degree and if in fact university life would be something they wanted to pursue. I had a young girl who came to see me and she had a few different career ideas in her mind but wasn't sure of the type or kind of degree necessary for her to take. Sitting down with her and explaining that certain degrees like psychology, English etc could set up a wide range of careers for her helped her to think a bit more clearly. However if these young people aren't able to access this kind of help and advice how will they make such decisions.

Then in contrast to that I met a young girl who was doing Alevels but wanted to pursue an Apprenticeship after she completes her Alevels. She has looked into the university way of life and wanted to do something more practical where she had the potential to earn some money. The reason why I give these brief examples is to show how different each client who came to see me was. They had different needs and wants. The need for going to university seems to be have lessened in the past few years.With so many people who have degrees but still find it difficult to actually obtain employment. Many have criticised David Cameron for allowing a rise in fees to divide a line between middle class going to university and those who from poorer families not being able to go.

This may seem like the case to many but what I have observed is many young people ended up or are still going to universities without all the options being explained to them. I am not saying this for everyone but many of the young people I spoke said they were unsure if they even wanted to go to university and alot of them were worried about how they would cope financially and also for many of them a fear of being far from family was not something they thought they would be able to manage. I think this is where we as careers advisers need to come in and help educate young people. It shouldn't be the case of if you go to university only then will you be successful. There were many people I know of who did a certain degree and struggled to find a job related to it or ended up doing something totally different. I am not saying that a degree is useless but for many it seemed to be more like a trend they followed then a necessity.

Vocational qualifications are still being frowned upon and it seems that many young people I spoke to didn't want to disappoint their family by doing a apprenticeship or btec. Even though they didn't have necessary entry requirements to do Alevels etc. 'I want to go university because its the best way for me to earn lots of money ' a ypung person said to me once. I challenged them about this because they were not a sutiable candaiate for Alevels. This was difficult but what I want to put across in this post is that those young people who want to go university in the next few years will need to think more carefully about whether it really is the best decision for them. Fees for degree courses have escalted to up to 7000+. Maybe a line of elite vs non elite will be established who knows.A young person has a right to know to what their other options are and that is why more then ever organisations like 'Not going to Uni' etc are essential for young people to know about. To end on a note of saying the number of careers advisers being cut will effect this because if advisers aren't around how will a young person really know what all of their options are.