Career Edge 16 (August 2006)
Editorial: Going mainstream
The International Symposium on Career Development in Sydney earlier this year confirmed that career advice and information is increasingly viewed by policymakers around the world as a crucial tool for achieving key economic, employment, social and educational goals.
This represents one of the most significant developments that I have seen during my eight years as chief executive of this organisation. While Career Services has always been a strong advocate of the wider public benefits of career guidance, it would be fair to say that career development hasn't been widely recognised as a lever for achieving economic and social change. Now, governments are keen to explore its potential and raise its profile, reach and impact.
These latest developments present a great opportunity and significant challenge. Career issues and ideas need to be mainstreamed as never before. The question is how do we really integrate the latest career thinking with the current labour market practices and gain the support of employers and employees? How do we extend our reach and effectiveness in the compulsory and tertiary education sectors? How do we make lifelong guidance at any age and any stage a reality?
First, we must increase awareness about the kind of information, products and services we are offering and improve accessibility to them. Secondly, we must do more to educate the wider population about the decision-making skills and information they will require throughout their working lives.
With these challenges in mind, Career Services is adopting a new single identity to increase the visibility and understanding of the services we deliver to New Zealanders. Our research shows that the best way to increase awareness and uptake or our services is to promote them under a single banner. Please take the time to familiarise yourself with our new look and call to action - seek the path that's right for you.
The good news is that New Zealand is well placed to move ahead. The Sydney Symposium, which attracted 22 nations, confirmed New Zealand is at the forefront of efforts to expand the role and influence of quality career information and guidance. The structures we have in place for career advice and information and the level of interest and investment which this Government has made in the area has put us at the head table internationally. This was acknowledged at the event by Professor Tony Watts, one of the authors of an OECD report on international guidance policies and practices.
New initiatives announced by Government in the 2006 budget will enable Career Services to make further progress.
The Better Tertiary and Trade Training Decisions initiative allows Career Services to expand and enhance its existing website and increase the availability of quality, personal advice to learners. Under this initiative, our website will be expanded to provide enhanced training and course material with an emphasis on improved trade training information. It will also include more labour market information and better links to tertiary and trade training. We will also enhance the support and assistance provided through our current freephone service and regional offices to enable more learners to understand the relative benefits of different types of tertiary study and trade training, and make informed decisions.
Career services in schools will be boosted by the Quality Career Advice initiative aimed at assisting students in making a smooth transition from school to further training and employment. This initiative will run during the 2007 and 2008 school years.
Quality Career Advice will build on the Designing Careers pilot which involved 75 schools around the country. The new initiative will help 100 more schools develop or enhance their career education programme, by providing career information, advice and guidance within schools. Our aim is to integrate career education across the whole school using careers advisors as facilitators. Improving career information, advice and guidance in schools is an important part of preparing young New Zealanders to participate in an economy increasingly based on high skills and qualifications.
Both of these new initiatives recognise that good career decision-making and guidance is central to New Zealand's wider economic and social wellbeing. In education and in the world of work, people are confronted with a greater array of choice and complexity than ever before. Building a knowledge economy - one that trades on its brains not its brawn - means equipping many more New Zealanders with the skills and information to make smart choices.
Lester Oakes
Chief Executive - Career Services
