Issues and Challenges For Career Guidance Advisers Using and Sharing Career-Related Labour Market Information (LMI) Summary Report

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1 Issues and Challenges For Career Guidance Advisers Using and Sharing Career-Related Labour Market Information (LMI) Summary Report

2 Background The purpose of the UK Commission s work on career guidance is to improve information, advice and guidance to help people into sustainable employment and to progress in work. This summary report covers the first stage of the career-related LMI research. The research has been planned and managed by the UK Commission with the support of an Advisory Group of key partners. The report has been written by Simon Bysshe in his role as a Visiting Research Fellow. Aims The first stage of the research had two principal aims: 1. To identify and specify the nature and scale of the challenge faced by career guidance practitioners working in a number of contexts with adults in different parts of Great Britain (GB) - in using and sharing careerrelated LMI. 2. To make recommendations about how the second stage of the research should be carried out. Methodology The study was undertaken in October and November 2011 and involved a rapid review of relevant literature and other evidence: e-surveys of FE Colleges and Work Programme providers; 47 telephone interviews with key stakeholders, managers and advisers delivering face-to-face and remote services; collating and analysing findings and producing a main report for internal review and this summary report for wider circulation. The UK Commission would like to thank all those who contributed so fully to the research through participating in surveys, providing information and examples of work and sharing their views and experience during telephone discussions. 2

3 Key Findings 3 XXThe operation and nature of labour markets is complex and multi-faceted. To support national policy objectives considerable data about labour market operations are collected, although mostly not for guidance purposes. Career-related labour market information and intelligence relates to reviewing supply and demand issues from the point of view of individuals seeking to enter, navigate and/or progress within, the labour market. XXIt is possible to distinguish different groups of advisers and practitioners providing labour market-related support for individuals - including those providing career guidance and/or job-search advice. However, whichever of these roles is being fulfilled, there is a common need for them to use appropriate types of career-related LMI effectively. XXA consistent picture has emerged from previous research about what career-related LMI career guidance practitioners (and probably wider adviser groups) want. In particular, alongside wider trend data, the need for local LMI in user-friendly and accessible forms is frequently stressed. XXA range of development work has been undertaken in recent years into providing career-related LMI for advisers and in helping them to use and share it more effectively and initiatives such as Transforming Labour Market Services (TLMS) have considerable potential to support joint-working and development. However, much of this work (e.g. that started by the SALAMI project 1 and that being supported currently by University of Warwick 2 ) is not underpinned by on-going funding and may not continue unless this can be secured or a sustainable business model is developed. XXThe collation and initial analysis of career-related LMI, and the training and development of staff to make best use of it in the context of all-age service delivery, is set out in national policy and practice in Scotland and, building on the success of previous work, is being considered in Wales as plans emerge for the future development of Careers Wales. The situation in England is more complex and diverse. Clear plans are emerging for adult services through the National Careers Service. It is less clear what career-related LMI will be available for young people (under 19) and how, and by whom, it will be presented, used and interpreted. XXFurther Education Colleges - through their delivery of work-based, FE and HE provision - work closely with employers and are well-placed to develop, use and share LMI. This study, along with other research, suggests there is scope to maximise how it is used and shared. XXThe Welfare-to-Work sector has undergone rapid expansion in the recent past. However, the introduction of the Work Programme has led to extensive change in contractual arrangements and a consequent reduction in staffing. The sector is addressing issues regarding the professionalisation of staff. Within this, the use of careerrelated LMI is recognised as an issue, but more immediate pressures mean that it is unlikely to be a priority. However, some individual Prime Contractors and sub-contractors may well undertake some development work on this on their own and/or in co-operation with partners. XXThere was a shared understanding amongst managers and practitioners consulted about what career-related LMI is - focussing on current supply and demand and trends in a rapidly-changing market. However it was clear that not all of the wider careers workforce have had sufficient training about how to use LMI. XXConsultees highlighted some organisational, and possibly systemic, issues in terms of organisations lack of willingness to share career-related LMI. These included concerns about losing competitive advantage and lack of funding for work which could previously be supported. XXThere was an indication that the focus in policy and practice on career-related LMI in the past ten years had been variable. Positive changes noted included a recent focus in policy in all parts of GB. Negative changes, which applied variously in different countries, concerned a reduction in the number of specialist posts, loss of specialist bodies (such as regional observatories in most parts of England) and a reduction in time for employer and wider labour market contact. XXFor practitioners the key barriers appear to be: making sense of LMI; challenges related to generating/sourcing robust locally-related LMI; and problems linked to operational pressures

4 The following areas were identified through the research as helpful to focus on. They are the importance of: 1. Raising the awareness and understanding of practitioners and advisers regarding career-related LMI and its central importance to effective career guidance. 2. Developing working practices that enable an appropriate balance to be struck between operational delivery and professional development. 3. Establishing clear roles and responsibilities in relation to using and sharing LMI, including deploying appropriate resources. 4. Undertaking appropriate needs analysis with advisers relative to the duties they are fulfilling and subsequently providing appropriate and on-going continuous professional development. 5. Practitioners and advisers being pro-active in undertaking formal and informal research into career-related LMI that is important for the development of their professional practice, including having opportunities for direct contact with employers about their requirements and wider labour market demand. 6. Systems being in place to gather supply side data from customers about their needs and requirements to contribute to the development of a more balanced view of supply and demand in fast changing labour markets. 7. Effective partnership working and networking being in place to share career-related LMI with agreed local and national partners. 8. Maximising the use of ICT (including social networking) through developing both intranets and extranets to link partners, to enable the collectivisation of knowledge and the creation of multi-sourced career intelligence. 9. Collating and producing accessible and useful careerrelated LMI products for different customer groups. 10. Evaluating the impact of using and sharing careerrelated LMI more effectively, including: helping improve the operation of labour markets, identifying key barriers to be overcome and ways this could be undertaken, and further evidencing the impact of related career information, advice and guidance work. 4

5 Recommendations for the Second Stage of the Research It was recommended that the second stage of the research should involve: XXThe UK Commission issuing an invitation to tender (ITT) to undertake at least ten good practice case studies on a GB-wide basis, with career information advice and guidance providers, Jobcentre Plus and others. XXThe UK Commission issuing a Call for Evidence to invite organisations to submit examples of good practice for possible consideration in the second stage of the research. XXThe agreed contractor: 1. Reviewing case study options and agreeing with the UK Commission organisations to be approached 2. Completing the case study field work by the end of February XXConducting one, or more, dissemination events to which all who have contributed to one or both stages of the research, and other interested parties, could be invited in March X X Producing a summative report, to capture good practice, to improve understanding about how career related LMI can be used and shared, and encouraging career guidance providers to review and improve their own practice. 5

6 The UK Commission for Employment and Skills is a non-departmental public body providing strategic leadership on skills and employment issues in the four nations of the UK. Together, our Commissioners comprise a social partnership that includes CEOs of large and small employers across a wide range of sectors; trade unions and representatives from the Devolved Administrations. UKCES Renaissance House Adwick Park Wath Upon Dearne Rotherham S63 5NB T +44 (0) F +44 (0) UKCES Grosvenor Gardens London SW1W 0TT UKCES 1 st Ed/09.12 T +44 (0) F +44 (0)