Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic and ongoing, Dr Sally-Anne Barnes and Professor Jenny Bimrose have been drawing upon their latest research to support the international careers guidance and counselling community by delivering online learning via a number of webinars.

Nearly 400 practitioners from professional associations and government departments from across the world have participated in the webinars and are drawing upon IER research to inform their practice. Webinars have covered recent research on how to support parents and carers in providing careers support, careers labour market information, and lifelong guidance policy and practice.

Since the start of the pandemic, the UK Government has described the numbers of individuals applying for Universal Credit as ‘unprecedented’ with 2.5 million applications since the lockdown in March. So with unemployment levels at an all-time high and global changes to work and labour markets as a result of the pandemic unavoidable, this is the time to think about enhancing the system of support and guidance in the UK. A system is needed that not only supports those out of work to return to the labour market, but also supports those who have had to change their role, and/or take on new roles. What seems likely is that most of those who are more able, more skilled and more adaptable will return to the labour market faster, whilst those who are less skilled and less resilient are more likely to struggle to return to the labour market.

A high quality, well resourced lifelong career guidance system can have an important role not only in supporting people back into work, but also helping people adapt to new ways of working and new types of labour markets by learning to adapt and innovate. Those in these new and emerging labour markets will need help to recognise their skills, and support to develop and continue their learning.

Undertaken by IER and colleagues from the University of Jyväskylä, a recent study of lifelong guidance in the UK and Europe examined guidance policy and practice identifying actors and stakeholders involved. The study provides insights into how practice and policy could evolve to address the current and imminent challenges for those transitioning from education to work, those out of work and those trying to adapt to new and changing employment opportunities. The recommendations coming out of the study are particularly timely given the catastrophic impact of the pandemic on labour markets around the world.

 What does a lifelong career guidance system look like?

Eleven crucial features of robust lifelong guidance systems were identified by the study. These features provide a framework to think about what an effective lifelong guidance system might look like and, significantly, how services could be developed to support individuals with their education and employment transitions across their lifetime. The features comprise:

1. Lifelong guidance legislation provides the foundation for the development of a lifelong guidance system. It can be a tool to clarify responsibilities, entitlements to guidance support, and service delivery mechanism, but there is a need for it to be explicit.
2. Strategic leadership refers to how national, regional and local policy and lifelong guidance systems are managed. Where there is a shared vision and strategy, career guidance is integrated into national skills strategies, activities are coordinated, and mechanisms are in place that guide the development, management and delivery of guidance services.
3. The scope of provision in different guidance contexts varies according to where guidance provision is situated and how it is organised within and across different guidance contexts. Cross-sectoral provision that, for example, links lifelong learning with work is seen as key to seamless delivery of guidance.
4. Lifelong guidance and lifelong learning strategies and policies highlight the role of lifelong guidance in education, learning and employment. Where these strategies and polices are coherent within an overarching framework the role lifelong guidance plays in lifelong learning is clear and there is a recognition that people need to reskill and upskill throughout their careers.
5. Coordination and cooperation focuses on the mechanisms that support communication, service delivery and knowledge sharing between the various actors involved in the organisation and delivery of lifelong guidance. Open systems are seen to have strong links and are considered more sustainable.
6. The delivery of guidance is represented by a range models that define how services are provided. A holistic model is considered ideal as it is based on a system of individualised and differentiated support relevant to the individual and delivered through a range of specialist partners.
7. Labour market information and data are collected and disseminated within lifelong guidance systems to support education planning and policy, as well as to inform guidance services. However, this requires investment and development to ensure high quality information is mediated and supported by professionals.
8. ICT strategy reflects how technology is being developed and integrated into lifelong guidance systems. The systemisation of ICT use, such as ensuring there is policy support and workforce development, creates successful integration into support systems.
9. ICT operationalisation refers to how technology is used in a lifelong guidance system and for what purposes. ICT is a common element in guidance provision with the potential to be transformative creating a space for user-driven services.
10. Professionalisation highlights the qualifications, knowledge, skills and ethical standards required by those delivering lifelong guidance services. This is essential in maintaining a quality system, but also retaining cutting edge practice. This is achieved when there is some form of legislative requirement for qualifications and training.
11. Evidence of impact of lifelong guidance refers to the methods by which services and the outcomes are measured and evidenced. Where the process is systematic, it has the potential to inform the development of lifelong guidance systems through feedback loops.

Lessons learnt from across Europe

Across Europe, some countries have developed lifelong guidance systems where individuals receive career guidance support throughout their life-course regardless of whether they are in education or work, or unemployed. This, of course, helps them stay in the work and develop for a changing labour market. Other countries have aspirations for a more developed system, undertaking development in the field.

Interestingly, many countries are facing the same challenges in terms of funding, getting to grips with technology, and working within structures that constrain practice as well trying to align practices with others. However, even in this context new and innovative guidance practice and tools are emerging with aim of providing a seamless service delivery across an individual’s life-course.

Guidance and learning is taking place in more diverse settings with ICT becoming more embedded. It needs to be recognised that a single practitioner, professional group or organisation will no longer be able to respond to the increasing need for support across all diverse user groups. This implies a need to create multi-professional and cross-sectoral networks, which will be more essential in the post Covid-19 labour market.

The study Lifelong guidance policy and practice in the EU: Trends, challenges and opportunities was undertaken by Sally-Anne Barnes, Jenny Bimrose and Alan Brown from IER, together with Jaana Kettunen and Raimo Vuorinen from the University of Jyväskylä.

Throughout May, Sally-Anne Barnes, Jenny Bimrose and Alan Brown have been delivering a number of webinars for the careers community in the UK and internationally.

Webinars have covered their recent research on the role of parents in providing careers guidance and how they can be better supported, and lifelong guidance policy and practice in the EU. Training webinars are also planned on the use of labour market information (LMI) as part of the new learning modules available on the LMI for All website.

So far, webinars have been run for the Career Development Institute (CDI) in the UK, as well as the New Zealand Career Development Association (CDANZ) and the Careers and Transition Education Association (CATE) with many more planned over the next few months, including for Australia. Listen to the CDANZ webinar here.

A recent report from the Resolution Foundation suggests that youth unemployment could rise by 640,000 this year and the Association of Colleges is predicting around 100,000 leavers will find it difficult to gain work and work-based learning. So with these record unemployment levels amongst young people predicted, an important issue that is likely to emerge strongly for the careers profession from the COVID-19 pandemic is exactly how educational institutions can maximise the impact of their work with parents and carers to support the young people in their care with their career education and progression. This, of course, also has the potential to help young people continue to learn and develop whilst away from their schools for any reason, including any future periods of social isolation that might be necessary as a result of recurrent waves of infection.

A stronger relationship was already being built as schools changed and adapted the ways in which they communicated, supported and worked with parents and carers. However, the news stories in abundance that have recounted how young people in their final year of education will be negatively impacted by a lack of apprenticeships and employment opportunities make it even more important than ever to ensure that young people receive the best possible careers support whilst still in school.

Given that parents and carers will have an ever increasingly crucial role to play in careers education, it is important to understand exactly what works in terms of their support and engagement. A recent survey of parents and young people reported that just three in five parents felt confident in advising their child about ‘how they can achieve their career/job goals’ or ‘what career/job options would be best for them’. So, there remains an unanswered question as to what works in engaging and involving parents and carers to support their understanding of careers options and, importantly, their confidence in providing careers advice.

 Impact of parental and carer involvement in careers

An international review, undertaken by IER, has just been completed. It examined evidence on what works in engaging and involving parents and carers in careers activities so that they feel more confident in the careers advice they give.

The review revealed how parents and carers undoubtedly have the potential to influence the career development of young people, both positively and negatively. Examples of practice identified in the review tells us that shared parental-child careers education and guidance experiences have positive outcomes for young people. These shared conversations and experiences support career development and confidence in career decisions. Involving and engaging parents in careers can positively help young people with their future planning, confidence, goal setting and career decision-making.

Whilst involving parents in careers, education and guidance is neither new nor innovative, we found that parental involvement often remains somewhat marginal, both in the UK and internationally. Parental involvement is often more aspirational than systematised or mandated. Interestingly, the review reveals how parental engagement in careers education and guidance in the UK is moving away from passive forms of involvement and information giving, to creating spaces for active engagement, collaboration and communication between parents and educational institutions.

 What could schools and colleges do to engage parents?

Despite the broad recognition of the importance of parental involvement, there is a lack of evidence on what, exactly, are the best ways for schools and colleges to engage parents. Drawing upon the experiences from practice in the UK and internationally, it is possible to draw out ideas on what could be done to engage parents and carers. These are detailed in the practice report and include suggestions to:

• Create parent-friendly environments with activities to draw parents into the school or college, such as breakfast and coffee clubs, and career guidance sessions for parents.
• Promote and communicate careers activities across the curriculum, such as asking parents to contribute to classroom activities, getting them involved in homework activities and through careers days. This will help ensure careers is part of an ongoing conversation.
• Build on current parental engagement in the school or college and so look at where parents and carers are involved and introduce careers conservations and activities.
• Involve parents and carers in the development of the careers strategy and careers education and guidance activities to encourage support and interest.
• Redesign existing activities to involve parents and that they are tailored to reflecting different expectations, needs and aspirations, as well as recognising that there will be different levels of engagement at different times.
• Design new activities that engage parents, employers and the local community, such as ‘meet the employer events’, ‘guess my job’ and informational events on topics requested by parents that involve local experts. Try to ensure that the parent-school and parent-college relationships are not reduced to a static series of concrete activities.
• Develop ‘peer communities’ of careers practitioners and teachers within and across schools and colleges to support their skill and knowledge development in engaging parents and carers, ensuring new and interesting practices are disseminated, with their uptake encouraged and supported.

 What next?

There is clearly a need for parents and carers to be effectively supported by schools to develop their knowledge and understanding of choices and future careers so that they, in turn, can provide better careers support and advice for their children. The review has highlighted a need for further evidence to be collected on what works best, to inform a national strategy for engaging parents, with emphasis on allowing individual schools and colleges to tailor their approaches to reflect the needs of their communities. Moving forward, trying out new activities that engage parents and carers, plus learning from each other and building on what works will be essential.

Lifelong guidance policies and practices are viewed as crucial parts of current EU policy initiatives around validation of learning and the Pillar of Social Rights.

The aim of the research, undertaken by Dr Sally-Anne Barnes together with colleagues at the IER and the Finnish Institute for Educational Research at the University of Jyväskylä, was to examine lifelong guidance policies and practices and to provide an evidence base for priority-setting, as well as supporting dialogue with stakeholders on lifelong guidance and, more widely, skills strategies.

The final report presents findings from the research identifying 11 key features of lifelong guidance systems in the EU, lifelong guidance actors and innovations in practice. It concludes with some recommendations for the Commission and those in working in the careers field. Read the press release here.