Introductory description

Participants will draw on theories of career development, learning, and leadership, labour market information, policy frameworks, and good practice guides, to critically evaluate their school or college career education and guidance programme and plan and implement continuous improvement to meet the needs of all stakeholders, including students, citizens, trade unions, community groups, and employers.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The context for school and college career education and guidance programmes.
Exploration of the relationships between career development and learning (e.g. formal and informal contexts).
Selected theories of career development, learning, and leadership/management.
Quality standards for careers programmes (e.g. Gatsby Benchmarks).
Learning from career and labour market information (e.g. education and employment routes for leavers including employment, apprenticeships, T levels, A levels, BTEC, degrees).
Relevant policies and frameworks (e.g. Careers & Enterprise Company guidance, statutory guidance).
The key roles and attributes of career leadership (e.g. management, coordination, networking, quality assurance, long-term thinking, clarity).
Career education and guidance programme design, concept mapping, and negotiation.
Topics (e.g. career influences, behaviours, decisions, styles, cycles, stories).
Roles, responsibilities, and relationships (e.g. teacher, student, employee).
Creation of learning outcomes for career education and guidance.
Linking curriculum learning to career education and guidance.
Learning encounters with employers and employees.
Learning experiences of workplaces.
Learning encounters with further and higher education providers.
Learning from personal career guidance.
Assessment of learning outcomes and systemic evaluation.
Ethics and values in school and college careers provision (e.g. equality, diversity, and differentiation).
Modes of reflective practice (e.g. experiential learning).
Use of the above to inform and enhance a career education and guidance programme in the school and college context.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Systematically identify the following areas of knowledge relating to leading an embedded programme of career education and guidance programme: quality standards for careers programmes (e.g. Gatsby Benchmarks); career and labour market information (e.g. education and employment routes for leavers including employment, apprenticeships, T levels, A levels, BTEC, degrees); relevant policies and frameworks (e.g. Careers & Enterprise Company guidance, statutory guidance); the key roles and attributes of career leadership.
• Discuss and critically analyse relevant standards, policies, and frameworks for practice.
• Carefully analyse the role of careers leader and other relevant roles within the school or college.
• Critically evaluate a programme of career education and guidance in the light of the knowledge identified above.
• Creatively apply the knowledge listed above to design and deliver an embedded programme of career education and guidance (e.g. aims, learning outcomes, activities, assessment).
• Systematically use the knowledge listed above to continually evaluate, revise, and enhance an embedded programme of career education and guidance programme.
• Comprehensively describe key concepts derived from theories of career development, learning, and leadership/management, relating to leading an embedded programme of career education and guidance.

Indicative reading list

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

Understanding the role of a Careers Leader and the context for this role.
Developing and implementing a whole-school, college or organisational careers strategy.
Aligning careers education with Gatsby Benchmarks (or similar frameworks for careers programmes in education)
Embedding careers learning into curriculum.
Using labour market information (LMI) to inform career programme.
Working with and building partnerships with stakeholders including senior leadership teams, employers and external partners.
Measuring the impact of careers programmes.

Transferable skills

Leadership and management
Strategic planning and implementation
Engaging with diverse stakeholders (students, staff, employers, parents)
Presenting ideas clearly and persuasively
Using data to inform decisions
Monitoring and evaluating programme effectiveness
Designing and delivering structured programmes
Using digital tools for careers education and tracking