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This report presents the evidence on the operation and impact of careers events held in UK schools and colleges. Literature and new data were gathered and analysed to understand the potential impacts and optimal delivery of three related types of careers events aimed at supporting the career decision-making of young people: careers talks, careers carousels and careers fairs. The paper draws on a mixture of academic literature and new survey data collected by the Education and Employers research team at careers events. The paper uses data collected from a student feedback survey, testimonies from teachers and employee volunteers as well as a follow up survey of experienced practitioners which tested the insights for best practice gathered from the other sources.

Edited excerpt from publication.

A related report is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 129.866. Show less

This report explores how school-level career guidance systems can more effectively respond to social inequalities. It draws on new analysis of [Programme for International Student Assessment] PISA and [Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies] PIAAC data and builds on the OECD Career Readiness Indicators to review the impact of inequalities related primarily to socio-economic background, gender and migrant status/ethnicity on the character of education-to-work transitions. The data analysis identifies additional barriers facing certain demographic groups in converting human capital into successful employment. It also finds that teenage access to career development is strongly patterned by the demographic characteristics of students. Consequently, the report highlights a range of career guidance interventions that can be expected to mitigate the negative impact of inequalities on student outcomes, enabling fairer access to economic opportunities. The report concludes by reviewing how the innovative new Career Education Framework in New Brunswick (Canada) systematically addresses inequalities within K-12 provision.

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This technical report, commissioned by the Careers and Enterprise Company, presents evidence that the research team at Education and Employers gathered on the operation and impact of transition skills events held in UK schools and colleges which underpins the guidance document 'What works?: the evidence on transition skills events (mock interviews and CV workshops)' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 131.1020]. This technical report presents our of review the current evidence relevant to the design and effectiveness of employer led transition skills events such as mock interviews and [curriculum vitae] CV workshops. The findings provide schools and colleges with evidence to support the delivery of these events and activities. Transition skills events are focussed on improving the knowledge, attributes and skills a young person needs when navigating the jobs market and applying for jobs. Such recruitment skills - being able to present about yourself and highlight your appropriate skills in the context of a job's requirements in what is often a stressful environment - are critical to young people's success in obtaining employment.

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The report presents the evidence on the operation and impact of careers events held in UK schools and colleges. Literature and new data were gathered and analysed to understand the potential impacts and optimal delivery of three related types of careers events aimed at supporting the career decision-making of young people: careers talks, careers carousels and careers fairs. The main questions addressed in the study included: What impacts can be expected from career events in terms of the educational and employment outcomes of young people? Can impact be expected to vary by pupil type (achievement level, occupational ambition, age, gender)? What benefits can be expected from different formats of engagement (careers fairs, careers talks, careers carousels) and how can event design optimise beneficial outcomes? This review was designed to identify evidence within the literature to inform the optimal design of events so the best outcomes can be achieved for the young people taking part.

Edited excerpts from publication.

A related report is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 130.576. Show less

The aim of the OECD Career Readiness project is to identify patterns of teenage attitudes and activities that are associated with better transitions into employment by analysing multiple national longitudinal datasets. This paper looks for further evidence of the link between teenage activities, experiences and career-related thinking and adult career outcomes by analysing 10 new datasets from eight countries. Overall, the results of this paper find further evidence that secondary school students who explore, experience and think about their futures in work frequently encounter lower levels of unemployment, receive higher wages and are happier in their careers as adults. The findings of this paper are analysed together with the evidence from the two previous working papers of the Career Readiness project [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 143.51 and TD/TNC 144.806], concluding that there is international evidence to support 11 out of the 14 potential indicators that were explored as indicators of career readiness.

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This paper explores how teenage thinking about jobs and careers relates to adulthood labour market outcomes. The OECD working paper 'Career ready? How schools can better prepare young people for working life in the era of COVID-19' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 143.51] identifies career certainty, alignment and ambition as relevant indicators related to career thinking. This paper extends analysis of these indicators to new longitudinal datasets from Australia, Denmark, and Switzerland, and incorporates two new indicators, instrumental motivation and career concentration. The findings provide further evidence that teenage career ambition, certainty, alignment, instrumental motivation and broad occupational expectations relate to positive employment outcomes, including in periods of economic turbulence. However, this is not always the case and on some occasions, this association is found only in specific subgroups. Finally, the paper presents evidence from the academic literature, analysis of OECD PISA [Programme for International Student Assessment] data and accounts from practitioners, which focus on ways in which schools can foster students' career thinking.

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No generation of young people has entered the world of work with more qualifications and time in education. But it can still be a struggle to compete for employment opportunities. How can transition skills events, such as mock interviews and CV workshops, help address this? Transition skills events are designed to improve young people's understanding of how the labour market works, whilst developing job seeking skills (i.e. how to manage application processes and to perform well in interviews) and personal resilience. This paper reviews the effectiveness of these employer-led transition skills events. The findings provide evidence for schools and colleges to support the delivery of these events and activities. The different evidence sources used in this review provide insights into best practice when it comes to designing and delivering events to get the best results for young people.

Edited excerpts from publication.

The evidence review for this report is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 129.867. Show less

This article addresses the conditions provided by a second chance school to facilitate young adults' re-engagement in education. Early school leaving (ESL) today represents one of many issues faced by young adults in the transition to upper secondary education and vocational education and training (VET). Second chance education is very limited in Portugal with only one pioneering institutions, the Escola de Segunda Oportunidades de Matosinhos (ESOM) in the outskirts of Porto Municipality, which confers grade 6th and lower secondary school (grade 9th) certificates. This school was launched to offer an alternative form of education and training to very early leavers in line with the guidelines of innovative and inspiring resources to tackle ESL (European Commission, 2017).

What makes ESOM particularly interesting for our purposes is its arts-based pedagogy, staff support and small subsidies that contribute to students' basic needs. Its vocational education emphasises creative and practical skills. It has a flexible timetable and a holistic approach to the curriculum with project-based learning at its core. Its relatively less rigid environment and presence of youth mediators facilitate students' sense of belonging. This second chance school is intended to provide a pillar for young adults in transition to becoming actors of their own educational and social pathways. Although we have no statistical follow-up on students' educational transitions after leaving this school, there are several indicators of its positive impact on their lives.

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The purpose of this brief report is to provide a critical overview of the character and effectiveness of employer engagement in UK education (relevant to young people within the education system aged five to 19) related specifically to participation, achievement and progression in subjects of study and careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Employer engagement is understood to be the range of activities which bring employers/employee volunteers into contact with learners to enrich learning and support positive progression. It would include provision of short (one or two week) or extended periods of work experience, careers advice, workplace visits and curriculum support/enrichment. The report addresses: the range and volume of engagement activities; the character of delivery; the impact of engagement activities; school perspectives on outcomes; employer motivations and benefits; and obstacles to the design, organisation and implementation of effective practice. The report further provides illustrative case studies together with a list of references relevant to the UK experience. It draws on two key sources: the National Audit Office (NAO) report ‘Educating the next generation of scientists’ and the Education and Employers Taskforce forthcoming (2012) report ‘Review of the value and impact of employer engagement in England, 2009/10’.

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