Career Education Resources Reduced When Young Australians Need Them Most
Young Australians today are faced with an increasing challenge to transition successfully from school to further education, training or employment.
Research released today by the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) and McCrindle shows that while the most effective forms of career support for a young person is face-to-face contact with qualified career advisors and work experience, time and financial resources available to career practitioners in schools are currently inadequate to equip Australian school students in these capacities.
Cuts to key resources impact career decision-making
Research shows that the three most utilised resources by career practitioners to assist young people in making quality career decisions, including Job Guide, will cease to be produced or be severely diminished by the end of 2016 due to government funding cuts.
Executive Director of CICA, David Carney said “Quality career guidance inspires pupils toward further study, training or employment and enables them to make informed career decisions. It gives them invaluable insight into the world of work and what education and training paths they need to take to achieve their career goals. Contact with career and industry professionals is critical when teaching pupils how to network and open up their options for the future”.
Career practitioners need greater connection with Industry
Changes in technology and in the labour market have produced new vocational options, which, at present, are not well understood by many young people or their classroom teachers, increasing the need for contact with industry professionals.
“Australia is approaching the biggest intergenerational employment transition ever and what is needed for students about to commence further study or work, in addition to world’s best education is world’s best careers advice,” says Mark McCrindle, principal of McCrindle. “Today’s school students will have more careers, and complete more courses than any previous generation and so career education in these complex times is more essential than ever.”
Research shows that career advisers need and want greater contact with employers and industry. 76% of career advisers who have been in their role for less than 2 years see industry connections as a critical aspect of enhancing their role.
Industry and schools need to find more innovative ways of developing these educational tools to respond to both the diminishing resources available as well as the limited time and financial resources of career advisors. Over 52% of career practitioners undertake their role part time and more than 4 in 5 (80%) schools have 1 or less fulltime equivalent career practitioners.
Research shows that over the past three years, career practitioners have been 1.75 times more likely to have had their time decreased rather than increased.
In 2014, CICA published a School Career Development Service Benchmark Resource. This resource has been developed for Principals and leadership teams of schools to help them achieve the best value and outcomes from their career development services. For a copy of the benchmark visit www.cica.org.au/quality-benchmarking
To view the infographic click here
For media enquiries please contact:
David Carney, Executive Director
Career Industry Council of Australia
0407 195 362
Mark McCrindle, Principal
McCrindle
0411 500 090
