Leadership in Careers and Enterprise programme

My interest in Careers is well established. I undertook the Diploma in Careers Guidance in 1998 and the Guidance course was a complete revelation to me. I loved every minute of it and have been a convert to the power of Careers Guidance and the difference it can make to people’s lives ever since. It’s fair to say that over the last 9 years the Information Advice and Guidance Sector has been presented with challenges. I’ve noticed this from someone who delivers training to professionals in the sector. This has brought with it some fantastic opportunities of which I have had the pleasure of being a part.

In 2012 I had the privilege of developing and managing the Futures Professional Development Centre and continue to manage the centre today. The centre has built a reputation for the delivery of high quality training to support careers professionals. We pride ourselves on staying at the forefront of sector developments and design our courses to reflect these. Last year we developed a new course, the ’Leadership in Careers and Enterprise’ programme. This was particularly created to support schools with meeting the benchmarks set out by the Gatsby Foundation.

The Minister’s speech focused on four pillars, the first of which called for the need for each school to have in place a “high-quality careers programme” that reflects the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. I believe that having a well-developed careers strategy and programme is key to the success of a school, equipping their young people with the skills to navigate a complex and fast moving employment and learning landscape. Ultimately providing them with the tools to make a success of their futures.

A further 1 million pounds of funding was announced to support the work done by the Careers & Enterprise Company, providing opportunities for young people to participate in enterprise activities or career talks by employers. Our own National Careers Service schools inspiration programme in the East Midlands was rated Outstanding by Ofsted in March this year which adds further evidence to the benefits of such programmes being integrated within school.

Thirdly the opportunity for all “to benefit from tailored support” from a qualified adviser. I feel strongly that whilst young people may seek support from family, friends and tutors, a one to one intervention with a careers professional can offer the space for them to explore their ideas in an impartial way. People who undertake our training are given both the skills and knowledge to facilitate this. Our learners have the opportunity to explore key Careers theories, think about how they link to practice and the way in which this learning can enable young people to becoming confident and competent career planners.

The final pillar described the need for people to have access to good labour market intelligence and information. Being able to interpret trends within the labour market and understanding the way in which the world of work is changing is more critical than ever. We look forward to learning more about the governments new strategy and how we can work with schools to achieve them.

Our Professional Development Centre offers a three day course aimed at school staff, ’Leadership in Careers and Enterprise’.

Interested in developing your skills or those of your team? Check out the courses.