International findings on the role of career information, advice and guidance
A recent OECD conference on career guidance and public policy profiled two papers on career information, advice and guidance in relation to public policy.
The two recently produced international summaries on the role of career information, advice and guidance in relation to public policy were presented and discussed at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) conference on career guidance and public policy which was held in Toronto, Canada, in October last year. New Zealand was represented at the conference by Elizabeth Eppel (Ministry of Education), Geoff Bascand (Department of Labour) and Lester Oakes (Career Services).
The papers provide an insight into career information, advice and guidance policy and practice internationally and an extremely valuable background on which to benchmark and develop future policy and practice in New Zealand.
For a quick overview of the findings from the reports below is a summary of the ten features of lifelong guidance systems, and the seven issues which the creation and management of such lifelong guidance systems require policy makers to address. These are taken from the paper from A. Watts and R. Sultana.
To download the full reports click here.
The features and issues identified in the Career Guidance and Public Policy report
The ten features of lifelong guidance systems can be framed as criteria which policymakers can use to examine the adequacy of their current guidance systems in lifelong terms, and to determine priorities for action. The ten features are:
- Transparency and ease of access over the lifespan, including a capacity to meet the needs of a diverse range of clients.
- Attention to key transition points over the lifespan.
- Flexibility and innovation in service delivery to reflect the differing needs and circumstances of diverse client groups.
- Processes to stimulate individuals to engage in regular review and planning.
- Access to individual guidance by appropriately qualified practitioners for those who need such help, at times when they need it.
- Programmes for all young people to develop their career-management skills.
- Opportunities to investigate and experience learning and work options before choosing them.
- Access to service delivery that is independent of the interests of particular institutions or enterprises.
- Access to comprehensive and integrated educational, occupational and labour market information.
- Active involvement of relevant stakeholders.
The (now) seven issues which the creation and management of such lifelong guidance systems require policy-makers to address are:
- Ensuring that resource allocation decisions give the first priority to systems that develop career self-management skills and career information, and that delivery systems match levels of personal help, from brief to extensive, to personal needs and circumstances, rather than assuming that everybody needs intensive personal career guidance.
- Ensuring greater diversity in the types of services that are available and in the ways that they are delivered, including greater diversity in staffing structures, wider use of self-help techniques, and a more integrated approach to the use of ICT (including helplines as well as the Internet).
- Exploring the scope for facilitating measures, including appropriate incentives, designed to encourage the development of career guidance services within the private and voluntary sectors.
- Working more closely with professional associations and training bodies to improve education and training for career guidance practitioners, preferably on a cross-sectoral basis, producing professionals who can manage guidance resources as well as be engaged in direct service delivery.
- Improving the information base for public policy making, including gathering improved data on the financial and human resources devoted to career guidance, on client need and demand, on the characteristics of clients, on client satisfaction, and on the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of career guidance.
- Developing better quality assurance mechanisms and linking these to the funding of services.
- Developing stronger structures for strategic leadership.
