Today the Career Review Programme Board has published its recommendations in a new report, Careers By Design.

The recommendations of the Review include:

• a greater emphasis on career education within the curriculum at school, college, and university
• more opportunities to experience fair work, exploring jobs in different ways
• more consistent entitlement to support across the country
• greater focus on developing skills for the world of work
• enhancing digital services to ensure they empower and engage young people.

Borders College Principal, Angela Cox, represents colleges on the Programme Board and will continue to help shape its implementation.

She said: “Colleges welcome the opportunity to play a more integral part in career education opportunities. We know that young people will change their careers up to five times in the 21st century economy, so the development of career management skills is absolutely vital in supporting them to progress into the workplace and adapt as required.

“Colleges have always developed a wider range of skills than just technical skills in our students. Developing Career Management Skills is another essential aspect of learning that need to be embedded into our programmes.

Shona Struthers, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, added: “I welcome this report and I’m pleased that the clear differences in provision of careers education between schools, colleges and universities has been highlighted.

“Colleges would benefit from a shared and funded approach to careers information, advice and guidance across Scotland. Irrespective of learners age or stage of learning, students at colleges should be able to access high quality support which is tailored to them. It is essential that the college sector has the capacity and expertise to deliver a careers service that is reflective of a future skills landscape, which is changing quickly not least because of the impact of the pandemic.”

Former general secretary of the STUC, Grahame Smith, led the Career Review Programme Board, along with a range of representatives from across education and the third sector.

The Scottish Government has agreed that the Career Review Programme Board will continue in its role to take forward the implementation of the recommendations.

Careers By Design is available to read in full at www.CareerReview.scot

View the pdf version of the news release  pdf Careers By Design Wednesday 9 February 2022 (117 KB)

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Jen Johnston, Head of Communications and Public Affairs
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