Page 10 - Euroguidance-Insight-Magazine-2023

10

Establishing the role of careers leader in schools

In England careers guidance is provided by individual schools. In this article, we describe the
new model of career guidance in English schools, introduce the careers leader role and discuss
what we have learned from the experience of establishing the role in schools.

The school-based approach to career planning, implementing and keeping under re-
guidance in England view a careers programme for the school

Across Europe there managing the delivery of the career guidance
are two broad ap- programme
proaches to organis-
ing career education co-ordinating the contribution of school staff
and guidance in networking with external partners
schools. In some coun-
tries there is an ex- In the best of practice, careers leaders are either senior
ternal careers ser- leaders, or middle leaders with direct support from a
vice which supports senior leader. In the past most careers teachers were
schools, typically by qualified teachers who were assigned additional
delivering personal responsibilities for careers. Today, it is still true that
career guidance or many careers leaders are teachers but many others
counselling, but often come from a range of different backgrounds, includ-
also by providing ing careers advisers. We have learned that whatever
other forms of sup- their professional background, careers leaders need
port – such as access four key conditions for the role to work effectively.
to careers and labour market information, and training They need:
for careers teachers. In other countries, career guid-
ance is the responsibility of guidance counsellors who authority – either by being a senior leader them-
devote most of their time to providing personal career selves, or working closely with someone who is;
guidance or counselling, but may also deliver careers
information sessions and a programme of careers to be located in the right position in the school’s
education. management structures to fulfil their leadership
responsibilities;
Up until ten years ago, career education and guidance
for young people in England was organised as a part- time to do the job;
nership with schools. The school’s activities were man- expertise, in both careers and leadership.
aged by a careers teacher, and the external service was
delivered by a careers adviser. In 2012 the Government
disbanded the national external service for young
people and transferred the statutory duty to provide FURTHER INFORMATION
careers guidance to individual schools, leaving schools For further details we refer you to our book The
nd
with sole responsibility for the careers programme. Careers Leader Handbook (2 edition). In the
new edition we have included a section on in-
The Careers Leader role ternational perspectives in almost every chapter.
For this model to operate successfully, the school https://trotman.co.uk/products/coming-soon-
nd
needed to identify a member of staff to lead and the-careers-leader-handbook-2 -edition
manage the whole programme. Consequently, the
Government introduced a requirement on all schools
to have a named careers leader and made available
fully-funded professional development for this role. David Andrews and Tristram Hooley
International Centre for Guidance Studies,
The role of careers leader can be summarised as follows; University of Derby, UK

Euroguidance Insight Magazine Issue 1/2023