Recommendation 8: Clear roles for the delivery of career services
Where appropriate, the roles across career services should be defined, to deliver the career development model in a coherent way.
I am supported by a group of people who know me and help me achieve my potential.
- The outcome of this change for a young person using career services
Why has this been recommended? What did the evidence say?
- The complexity of the policy landscape can be overwhelming for practitioners*, institutions and other service providers
- Roles or functions are duplicated across organisations. Opportunities for information-sharing and collaboration are not always acted upon. Young people find it hard to know who to go to for support
- New institutional arrangements for curriculum, assessment and inspection will have implications for roles and responsibilities for the delivery of career services.
* The term ‘practitioner’ covers all professionals and roles supporting the delivery of career education, information, advice, guidance and brokerage with young people across all settings (including teachers, careers advisers, lecturers, DYW School Coordinators and third sector support etc.).
Find more information on the evidence gathered through the Career Review
The change
- Those seeking support know who can help them; they get the right support at the right time
- A common approach to career services aligned to the Career Development Model
- A system-wide Target Operating Model that ensures services are integrated and no one falls through the cracks
- The different roles that deliver the Career Development Model are clearly defined and articulated
- Practitioners are connected with a long-term, collaborative approach to practitioner professional development and qualifications (where relevant)
- Employers, trade unions and representative bodies find it easier to engage with the education system and career services
- Parents and carers are supported in their key role as influencers.
How it addresses inequalities
The career ecosystem will inclusively offer accessible and dependable support throughout an individual’s diverse life experiences.
Download the Career Review Equality Impact Assessment
What happens next?
The Career Review Implementation Plan and Target Operating Model will outline how SDS career services will enhance career services to provide a ‘navigator’ role which actively manages transitions from P7/S1 up to 24-years-old, for those who need it. This approach will be developed with partners and the full involvement of trade unions that represent careers staff.
The Career Review Implementation Plan will:
- detail how a programme of learning for practitioners will be co-designed and delivered, that ensures they have the skills to deliver services in the Career Development Model (including professional qualifications where relevant)
- identify a process to establish who within the existing workforce should carry out these roles. This process will be agreed with and fully involve the trade unions that represent the relevant staff groups
- detail how a network of experts covering those with lived experience of protected characteristics and other equality factors and disciplines will be established to work alongside the proposed Career Service Coalition (see Recommendation 10) to support the delivery of the Implementation Plan, the Target Operating Model and the continuous improvement of Scotland’s career services.
The Career Review Programme Board will work with partners across the system to develop a Target Operating Model and service blueprint that sets out the lifelong entitlements to career services and the channels for delivery of these across the ecosystem.