Careers ServiceCDI ConferenceStratford Upon Avon8 November 2013

Frances O’Hara

Head of Career Service,

Northern Ireland

Content

• Key Strategic Drivers

• Overview of the Careers Service

• Key Achievements 2012/13

• Future plans

The Department for Employment and Learning’s Careers Service

Our aim: ‘To develop and deliver an effective, impartial and professional careers service to help people realise their career aspirations enabling them to contribute positively to their community and to the NI economy’.

Challenges and IssuesPolicy challenges that career guidance must respond

to in OECD countries are:

• To improve the knowledge and skills base of the population;

• To keep unemployment low and ensure that labour supply and demand are in harmony;

• To ensure that education and employment opportunities are distributed equitably.

Source: OECD CAREERS GUIDANCE REPORT (2004)

Key Strategic Drivers• PfG 2011-15 and Economic strategy

• Europe 2020 strategy

• DEL’s 2013/14 Corporate and Business Plan

• Joint strategy with DE, ‘Preparing for Success’

• Skills strategy, ‘Success through Skills’

• HE strategies, ‘Graduating to Success’ and ‘Access to Success’

• NEETs strategy - ‘Pathways to Success’

How does the Careers Service respond?• Supports clients to balance their personal aspirations

and abilities with the current and future needs of the labour market and NI economy

• Offer all 14-17 year olds one to one, personalised careers support - currently 92% of year 12 pupils avail of this offer

• Actively case manage all young people up to age 18 to help them secure and sustain an appropriate position in education, training or employment

• Support the Department’s Employment Service to help people, particularly young people, find and progress in work

Careers Service Overview • Over 100 professionally qualified advisers• In-house delivery

• All advisers are members of the Career Development Institute and subscribe to the Institute’s code of ethics in addition to the NICS code of ethics

• Careers Industry Insight Days

• Labour market intelligence briefing

Overview cont. . . .• Strategic partnership with HSCT and Youth Justice

Agency to address the career planning needs of young people leaving care or in a community or custodial setting.

• Partnership agreements with FE colleges and training organisations

• Strong working relations with community and voluntary groups to support career planning needs of young people who are not in education, training or employment

Summary of Key Achievements – 2012/13

Careers Guidance Interviews: 50,829

Young People: 34,814 Adults: 16,015

Other clients contacts : 78,999

Visits to Careers Service website : 441,102 www.nidirect.gov.uk/careers

Summary of Key Achievements – 2012/13 cont’d….

• 92% of all year 12 pupils in schools interviewed by a careers adviser (academic year 2012/13)

• 93% of young people stated they feel more confident about their career decision

• Careers advisers provided careers guidance services to over 5,000 Training for Success trainees

• 24 Industry fact sheets have been refreshed covering approx 90% of all N.I. main industries

Summary of Key Achievements – 2012/13 cont’d….

• The Careers Service achieved the matrix quality standard award in January 2013.

• The Careers Service is the first and largest whole organisation within the UK to receive matrix accreditation

• In 2013 the DEL Minister launched a Careers Service parental guide. It was distributed to all post primary schools in Northern Ireland for the parents/guardians of all Year 10 and 12 pupils. There is also an online version on the website.

Future Plans• Review of the careers strategy

• Ensure that we maximise the benefits of technology, including increased use of social media, telephony and on-line services to suit the needs of the client

• Maximise the return to the individual and to the economy of the investment in training and education

• Working with the Employment Service to support people to improve their skills and employability to facilitate social inclusion and higher productivity