Preparing for Success
All-age Careers Strategy
Northern Ireland
Presented by
Judith Shaw
Head of Careers Policy and Strategy
Careers Service NI
Northern Ireland Context - Employment






Population
Small business economy
Public sector employment
Employment rate
Unemployment
Inactivity rate
1.8m
30%
66.1%
7%
28.8%
Careers Service NI
Education - School Leavers 2008/09
Qualifications
 50.6%
 70.1%
 2.9%
Destination
 42.9%
 32.4%
 12.7%
 6.7%
 5.2%
2+ A levels or equivalent
5+ GCSEs at grades A* - C or equivalent
no GCSEs
Higher Education
Further Education
Training
Employment
unemployed or unknown
Careers Service NI
Careers Service NI






All–age - Careers Policy & Operations
Total staff - 169
105 qualified careers advisers
27 locations
Website www.careersserviceni.com
Partnership with schools, colleges, training suppliers,
statutory and voluntary organisations
 270 post-primary schools – careers teachers
 Budget £5.8m
Careers Service NI
Preparing for Success
 January 2009
 Joint DE/DEL Careers, Education, Information,
Advice and Guidance Strategy and
Implementation Plan launched by DE and DEL
Ministers
Careers Service NI
Context
 Programme for Government
 Skills Strategy
 Revised Curriculum and the Entitlement
Framework
Careers Service NI
Vision
Young people and adults will develop the skills
and confidence to make the most of their life
choices and follow the career path which suits
them best.
Careers Service NI
Aim
To develop effective career decision makers
leading to increased and appropriate
participation in education, training and
employment.
Careers Service NI
5 Key Themes
 Improving Careers Education
 Improving Access to Careers Information
 Improving the provision of Careers Advice and
Guidance
 Improving Quality
 Improving Professional Development
Careers Service NI
Improving Careers Education
 CEIAG Map and Guide
- issued January 2009
 Business Engagement Working Group
- preparation underway
 Employability and Work Related Learning
-150,000 + learners have participated to date
 STEM Careers Action Plan
-STEM teams in place in ELBs with business plan for
year 2 and 3; annual stem review
Careers Service NI
Improving Access to Careers
Information
 Information Champion
- DEL information champion appointed
- Industry Factsheets developed and disseminated
- Careers staff trained
 Careers Information Hub
- Background research ongoing
Careers Service NI
Improving the provision of Careers
Advice and Guidance
 Recruitment of additional careers advisers
- Target 105 (FTE) by December 2010
 Partnership between schools, FE, training and
apprenticeship providers and Careers Service
- All post primary schools - partnership agreement in place
- FE and training providers - discussions ongoing
 CIAG Facilities
- 2 Careers Resource Centres established - positive review
- Roll out agreed in principle
Careers Service NI
Careers Advice and Guidance contd
 Parental Involvement
- Initial work with Parents Advice groups
 Provision of CIAG for young people/adults vulnerable to
social exclusion
- Partnership with statutory, voluntary and community groups
- National Careers Award 2010
- 2 Projects – Disability and Other Barriers
 Adult guidance
- Referral arrangements between Employment Service and
Careers Service
- Training
- Outreach Adult Careers Guidance Services – redundancy
counselling / community networking - EGSA
Careers Service NI
Improving Quality
 Quality Standards
- ETI standards issued
- Implementation in schools ongoing
- Development work with Training Suppliers
- Implementation underway in Careers Service
 Impact Evidence
- Careers Service Annual Report
- Project – draft indicators by June 2011
Careers Service NI
Improving Professional Development
 Qualifications and CPD frameworks
- LLUK Careers Constituency panel – DEL& NISCA
- ELB Careers Group preparing proposals for careers
teacher development
 CEIAG Forum
- 2010 – ICG Annual Conference
- NISCA Conference
Careers Service NI
Challenges




Developing Resource Centres – Capital Spend
Promoting Adult Guidance
Promoting and developing Parental Involvement
Enhancing stakeholder involvement/partnership
working
 Demonstrating impact