IT is vital that careers education provides a service which can match skills to the needs of employers and help young people realise their full potential in the workplace.
That was the message as Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry and Education Minister, John O’ Dowd announced the strategic direction of the review of careers education and guidance in Northern Ireland.
The review, being jointly conducted by the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Education, will look at policies and practices in relation to careers information, advice and guidance. It will look at the best practices internationally as well as the rest of the UK and the RoI and in particular, the review panel will consider:
The role of the curriculum — including the need to consider how careers education can be strengthened.
Overcoming barriers — with a particular focus on those about to enter the labour market; those not in, or temporarily excluded from, the labour market; people with learning difficulties or disabilities; those needing financial advice regarding further and higher education; barriers to accessing higher education on an all-island basis; those in work and school-age children.
Promoting STEM subjects — including the need to encourage and monitor uptake, particularly females, studying STEM subjects and, specifically the physical sciences, computer science and mathematics and establish measurable outcomes.
Providing information — including the need to put labour market intelligence and information at the heart of the guidance process.
Engaging with business — including how engagement between careers service, universities and colleges, schools and businesses can be better structured, integrated and improved.
Improving advice — including the need to further develop the qualifications framework and ensure individuals, regardless of age, aspiration or ability, as well as key influencers such as parents and teachers, have access to information as well as independent high quality advice.
Minister Farry said: “We need to ensure the system delivers a service which can provide careers advice and guidance which supports growth and social mobility, and is in tune with the needs of the labour market, both now and in the future.”
Given that from the age of 14 young people make decisions which could affect their education and career options for the rest of their lives, minister O’Dowd added: “It is vital that they are fully supported by careers education which challenges misconceptions, broadens their outlook and helps them to embark on a successful career path.”
The review will be led by an independent panel, supported by an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development expert in careers education and guidance. It will conclude in autumn 2014. A formal public consultation on the provisional conclusions of the review will then be launched.