The bigger picture
There is a shortage of careers advisers in the UK. Research by Careers England shows that 33% of employers are unable to recruit careers advisers with the skills and qualifications needed. This puts into sharp focus the challenges faced by schools and colleges who are required to provide students with independent personal guidance delivered by a qualified careers adviser.
Take into consideration that this is set against the backdrop of a national skills shortage. Businesses are struggling to recruit people into roles with the relevant experience and skills and job vacancies in the UK reached a record high of 1.3 million in 2022.
So, how can the role of careers advisers help plug these shortages and gaps and what needs to be done to support more people to step forward into these positions?
The world of work – what is a ‘career’?
Work is one of the central components in many people's lives, yet we use various terms to describe it. Some people talk about their job, others have an occupation, many others will talk about their career. However, the term ‘career’ can be quite divisive. It can be seen as something that doesn’t apply to all, perhaps only applying to those working in ‘professions’.
Those of us who work in the career development sector see the concept of ‘career’ as an all-embracing term which describes how people journey through life, learning and work. This can, of course, include a traditional idea of progressing through hierarchy within a job. For others, it may be studying, carrying out voluntary work, caring for dependants or increasingly a combination of all of these.
The world of work is becoming more complex with a myriad of courses, qualifications, old jobs disappearing often due to increased automation, and new jobs are emerging, many requiring high level IT skills, particularly programming and cybersecurity. This uncertainty can lead to people feeling overwhelmed that they have too many options. For others, the opposite may feel true, in that they have too few options as they may lack basic qualifications and the skills that employers are looking for.
Role and benefits of careers advisers
However, there is help available. Careers advisers work in schools, colleges, universities and the community, with young people and adults. They are trained, qualified professionals who are available to help individuals to explore the options open to them and make choices about what they do next. The careers adviser is often hidden within our education systems and may only be sought out at crisis point when people are being made redundant, are having to make a decision about a college/university course, apprenticeship or need help finding a new job.
But careers advisers can – and do – so much more. They work with people to understand their motivations and values in life, where they see themselves in their future, what life they want to have and how they can get there. They help to explore barriers, perceived or structural, which may be seen as hindering progression, help to contextualise and personalise learning and work opportunities and to formulate plans of actions to achieve life goals.
Careers advisers understand the local, regional and national labour markets and can guide on where growth and decline will be in occupational areas. They can also help individuals to understand their previous experience, skills, knowledge and expertise in order to position themselves successfully for new opportunities.
Choosing to be a careers adviser
However, we know that becoming a careers adviser is often something people move into as a second or third career. This could be because there isn’t an undergraduate route available; it is not a course option on a UCAS application or is not a visible option when making academic career choices at post 18. Research conducted by the University of Derby’s International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS) with career changers who have recently come into the career development workforce suggests that many people transition into becoming a careers adviser because they have sought help themselves and have become inspired by the experience.
We also know that they come from a wide variety of existing careers including teaching, HR, marketing, banking and IT, for example. What connected them all was a values and altruistic perspective on life and wanting to make a difference in other ‘people’s lives’ and to ‘give something back’. For many, having recently come through a career transition themselves it gave them an empathy with others in a similar position.
Having experience in other sectors, understanding workplaces and employers’ needs is important. But we also need a more diverse careers workforce; we need younger people coming into the profession. It is great that it will be the last career for many, but it can also be a first career as well.
We need a workforce that is representative of all, who are able to work with young children in primary schools to support aspiration through to older workers who may need to extend their careers. The University of Derby is funding a PhD student to investigate the barriers impacting on the recruitment and retention of a more inclusive workforce within the career development sector. This important research will help us to better understand what needs to be in place to attract greater diversity to the sector. We know that seeing people in roles attracts others, ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’.
What needs to be done to get more people into the role?
Being a careers adviser is a brilliant job with lots of opportunities to work in both the public and the private sector. Unfortunately, due to austerity measures over the last decade or so, the funding for careers guidance has reduced significantly. This has impacted on practitioners leaving to work in other areas. Yet, at the same time, the need for qualified practitioners has increased and will continue to increase as individuals need to continue to learn and develop skills throughout their working lives. The Career Development Policy Group, of which I am a founding member, has called on the government to offer incentives in the form of government bursaries and enhanced starting salaries to encourage people to join the profession and build much needed capacity.
Advice for budding careers advisers
This National Careers Week, I am encouraging more people to think about becoming a professional careers adviser. Here are a few things that may help you to think about this career area in more detail;
- Look at the Career Development Institute website to learn more about the qualification routes and job opportunities available
- Organise an opportunity to do some work shadowing with a local careers company or university. This will give you a chance to learn more about the role and to help you see yourself doing the job
- Many careers companies are now offering traineeships and apprenticeships so you can learn while you develop your new career. Look for vacancies on the Career Development Institute website
- Research the range of opportunities and clients you might be able to work with. Many practitioners have a portfolio career and work with companies as well as private clients
- There is a shortage of careers advisers to work with young people in schools, with students in universities and with adults in the community – now is a great time to make a difference
At the University of Derby, we offer an MA in Careers Education and Coaching.
The University is hosting Derby Talent Fair - an opportunity for University of Derby students and graduates to explore different career options - on Thursday 9 March 2023.
