Monday, December 5, 2011

How the new Education Act 2011 changes the way we work

Whether you are a young person still in education, a professional working in education, a parent, an employer or a young person seeking employment or training, your views on these changes and how we should shape our new service from April 2012 are important to us.

Connexions currently has a statutory duty (one laid down by law) to provide Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) to young people from the ages of 13 up to 19 years ( 25 years if a young adult has a learning difficulty or disability).

The service is delivered in partnership with schools and other learning providers as well as through drop in centres around the city.

The new Education Act 2011 will change the way that careers information, advice and guidance (CEIAG), is provided for young people. These changes will take place in schools from September 2012.

Department of Education guidance to schools advises that from September 2012, they will be responsible for ‘securing access to independent and impartial careers guidance for pupils in years 9-11’. This change moves the statutory responsibility for careers education, information, advice and guidance  undertaken by Connexions and places this responsibility onto schools. Connexions is currently exploring with schools what services they may require in the future to help them provide professional, impartial CEIAG for their pupils.

Department of Education guidance also recommends that ‘schools work in partnership with local authorities to ensure vulnerable young people receive the support that they need’. This recommendation means that from April 2012, Connexions will focus on providing a targeted service to pupils in schools and other young people not in education, employment or training.

Already a new National Careers Service (NCS) offers web and telephone based information and advice, with limited face to face advice for young people who are over 18 years , mainly through Job Centre Plus.

As a service, we have been through many changes and many names over the last 35 years but have always kept the delivery of an impartial careers information, advice and guidance service central to the service we offer.

The passing of the Education Act 2011 is by far the most significant change we have come across during this time. The new Act targets the support available from Connexions towards vulnerable pupils in schools and other young people who have left school and who are not in education, employment or training.

Feel free to comment below. Your suggestions and views will be fed into the consultation process.

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