The current economic climate and changing public policy was at the forefront of the minds of many professionals this year in an industry more used to dealing with the concerns of its clients than its own.
In between the seminars and stalls soft mutterings all along the same lines; which resources had been cut or cancelled, how individuals and institutions have had to adapt. With the feeling that not only were we there to share best practice and gather new ideas, but also to try to find a clear path for our own futures.
The various companies peddling their wares were in bullish mood, talking of new contracts, systems and products that would impact on what is if we’re honest an ever decreasing service for an ever increasing need.
That said there was still opportunity to be positive amidst a myriad of guest speakers packed full of enthusiasm and innovation. Ultimately I came away thinking that despite the pressures being placed on our profession those in need would not be without those that possess the will and the expertise if not the resources to support them.
There appear to be those that consider pre sixteen work experience to be both an ineffective and cumbersome exercise. A fact I believe fuelled by an inability to understand the critical value of the process.
An article in TES written by a Deputy Head in Swansea derides work experience and even goes so far as to belittle so called “menial jobs”. If this is the view of senior management within schools then there is no surprise that work experience is apparently on the decline.
The Telegraph referred to a recent OFSTED report that criticised the impartiality of CEIAG nationwide. The following points were made regarding work experience;
“Inspectors also raised serious doubts over the value of work experience placements.
In almost a third of schools, the watchdog reported problems finding suitable placements, meaning some children were sent to companies “they were not interested in”.
One student told inspectors: “I wanted to do hairdressing but ended up in an office photocopying.”
It appears to me that OFSTED are missing the point. Placing a student in a company that interests them is by no means a pre-requisite to success. These are young people that in most cases have never been to work before. Work experience is in fact a once in a lifetime opportunity for a young teenager to have employers open their doors and invite them to gain a firsthand insight into the world of work.
Students can for the first time realise the real impact of tardiness, the value of personal hygiene and presentation and the importance of clear communication that exists in every workplace, as well as the ability to problem solve, negotiate and build up positive working relationships. These fundamental skills are generic to any workplace. Starting to develop them in real working environments is often the first step on a long road to professional maturity. It is rare that you will meet someone that cannot remember their work experience and isn’t able to recount some tale of significance to them.
Work experience is also a great opportunity for career exploration. Students that attend placements that they may not have considered or even known of previously often have very enriching experiences.
For a placement to be a success a student does not have to fall in love with their job. Successes are gained through reflection which then leads to learning.
How do you get value from work experience? By giving it value. A school that doesn’t demonstrate commitment to the process undermines all the hard work that undoubtedly goes into making it happen.
All you need for a successful programme is good preparation, support and reflection. Don’t get me wrong I am the first person to accept that the quality of placements must be constantly improved. This can only be done through good communication with employers and comes back to adequate preparation for both parties – the students and the employees.
As career professionals we are entitled to think that we possess a panacea for future decision making. At our fingertips; current labour market information, tools for self assessment and a yellow brick road to gaining fundamental skills for work. Why then might we ask, are our clients not beating a path to our doorstep? Why aren't students and parents alike clamouring to bask in our knowledge?
The truth is that what we are offering, however vital we believe it to be is only ever sought out in times of dire need. Like check-ups with a GP are avoided at all cost and health warnings on cigarettes are ignored. The sensible advice and guidance we offer that can enable clear and considered decision making is often only considered necessary the day before UCAS deadline day, or after the unrealistic aims that a client has set themselves are not realised.
So let us consider this from another perspective. We are the product, our clients the market place.
To paraphrase Seth Godin - traditional attempts to garner consumer support are a waste of time. Let us instead win the right to communicate by giving them something they want. Once this relationship is created we then have an open and constant dialogue available to allow us to dispense our pearls of wisdom to the masses.
Perhaps we can offer competitions and prizes, celebrity speakers, a useful service. Whatever it may be that starts the conversation, once it begins we can sustain it with useful and relevant gains that will benefit our clients. Think (I hate to say it) outside the box (or perhaps creatively within it), With the correct marketing we can change from woolly footwear to Ugg Boots, a music player to an ipod.
I attended the second of this two day conference at the Emirates Stadium in North London. With a range of organisations hawking their wares and a plethora of speakers in the seminar areas upstairs, the event was a great success. Aside of course from the ludicrous catering costs which saw my colleague somewhat confusedly hand over in excess of £10 for a small tub of wedges, a wrap and some instant coffee.
A great opportunity for networking and information gathering, the one key message I came away with and the real reason for my fledgling attempts at a blog is quite a simple one. Social networking and web logging are uniquely powerful tools in propagating and improving CEIAG.
Having just tentatively dipped my toe into this online pool I have discovered that there is in fact a torrent of information, tools, support and ideas available for us all. In fact even glancing now at my new twitter account I have seen a post from someone attending the ICT in CEIAG conference where they state that “Quality Choice & Aspiration says we need to reach young people with soc[ial] networking: why won’t senior management in IAG allow it?”.
