Through the programme we wanted the trainee teachers to appreciate that careers education deserves this central place because it can make its own contribution to three systemic challenges: Promoting equity and social mobility; Making the curriculum more relevant; and supporting teacher engagement and retention.
We face an engagement challenge in our schools, evidenced by record low attendance and increasing home-schooling. A vibrant and carefully integrated careers education strategy offers a way of innovating the curriculum to restore relevance by helping young people locate themselves in an ever-changing world.
In a world of accelerating change, we all need to step up and lead within the roles we have. This project has enabled intending teachers to give themselves permission to see themselves as leaders who ground their practice in their own sense of purpose and commitment to equity and social mobility. This is important at a time when over 40% of the profession leave within 10 years (UK Parliament 2023).
We hope the learning within this enhancement activity will help this cohort find their place within the profession and make their unique contribution to it.
References
- Anthony Mackay, Neil Barker, Keith Redman, Tim Clarke, Andrew Miller (2022). Education Reimagined: leadership-for-a-new-era. [online] Available at: https://www.wise-qatar.org/app/uploads/2022/03/cse-wise-education-reimagined-leadership-for-a-new-era-final.pdf.
- The Careers & Enterprise Company (2016). The Careers & Enterprise Company Programme to Support Informed Choice: A Response to the Moments of Choice Research, London, The Careers & Enterprise Company. (n.d.).
- Julia Freeland Fisher, Fisher, D. and Christensen, C.M. (2018). Who you know : unlocking innovations that expand students’ networks. San Francisco, Ca: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand.
- McInerney, S. (2021). It’s Time To Get Practical About Social Capital. [online] FE News. Available at: https://www.fenews.co.uk/exclusive/it-s-time-to-get-practical-about-social-capital/ [Accessed 17 Nov. 2023].
- Summers, J. & Falco, L. (2020) ‘The Development and Validation of a New Measure of Adolescent Purpose’, The Journal of Experimental Education, 88(1), pp. 47-71. Available at: DOI: 10.1080/00220973.2019.1575178
- UK Parliament (2023). Teacher recruitment, training and retention - Education Committee. [online] Parliament.uk. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmeduc/119/report.html.
- Yeager, D. S., Henderson, M. D., Paunesku, D., Walton, G. M., D’mello, S., Spitzer, B. J., & Duckworth, A. L. (2014) ‘Boring but important: A self-transcendent purpose for learning fosters academic self-regulation’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107(4), pp. 559. Available at: DOI:10.1037/a0037637