HE white paper - AGCAS response
AGCAS welcomes the emphasis on employability and high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) in the government's Higher Education White Paper, Students at the Heart of the System, published today. AGCAS believes that access to high-quality CEIAG should start at school and continue through and beyond college and university.
Career and salary outcomes
One of AGCAS's concerns, however, with the recently announced requirements for universities to publish career and salary outcomes, is that data about graduates' first destinations and earnings are not always as straightforward as they seem. Entry into some of the most prestigious graduate jobs normally follows either an internship, a period of non-professional work experience or a postgraduate course, none of which will necessarily show up well in the data. So, anyone looking at the raw data, without understanding these nuances, could be forgiven for mistakenly viewing negatively some interim career outcomes that are in fact positive.
Role of the individual
In addition, many graduates don't get down to serious career planning for some months after graduation. Some choose to take time out to travel or stay on in their temporary job to clear some debts. Others, perhaps, haven't taken advantage of all the opportunities to enhance their employability while at university and are using the weeks after graduation to gain much-needed experience or develop their skills. Again, these individual decisions will have an impact on the data.
AGCAS applauds the intention to publish additional salary information at 40 months.
Need for careers guidance
Another worry is whether, at a time when responsibility for funding for CEIAG services is being devolved to schools and colleges, systems will be in place to equip young people to find and make use of all the newly-published information.
Anne-Marie Martin, President of AGCAS and Director of The Careers Group, University of London, said:
'Students and prospective students need to be helped to understand the implications of particular choices - of career, employer, subject of study, place and institution of study - but also of their own actions, such as making sure they are able to demonstrate that they have the qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience that potential universities and employers are looking for.
Many students will also need help with understanding both the labour market and their own personal preferences and attributes. They can then learn how to put all the information together to make informed decisions. If well taught, these career management skills will then hopefully remain with them for life.
It's perhaps ironic that the government is making much more information available, but that at the same time there is such uncertainty around the careers education and advice that will enable young people to make sense of it. The results are that they could be more confused than ever - and even seriously misled.'
She added:
'We would advise students and parents to make sure they access good careers advice, which will enable them to make informed decisions. If their school or college isn't providing it, they should ask why. Equally importantly though, the individual should take responsibility too - they should already be starting to build up relevant experience and gaining skills future employers will look for.'
The AGCAS message to students and parents - and to government and schools - is that good CEIAG is absolutely crucial and must be made available to young people both before and during university, but that it cannot take place in a vacuum. The individual must also take responsibility for their own career management. Our messages to young people must emphasise this.
AGCAS response
AGCAS will be responding to the white paper by the deadline of 20 September 2011 and encourages its members to contribute to this collective response, as well as to respond individually and via their institution.
References
Higher Education White Paper: Students at the Heart of the System
AGCAS Employability Position Statement
Tags: white paper careers advice guidance careers guidance CEIAG salary information dlhe
Created on: 28 June 2011
Last updated: 29 July 2011