Decisions at 18 200808 April 2008 - 10 April 2008

Event overview

Decisions at 18 is CRAC's flagship conference for those who advise and work with young adults, disseminating valuable information on the broad field of school and college leaver careers options. The three day residential conference began on Tuesday afternoon and continued through to the end of Thursday, with a mixture of high-profile speakers and highly relevant workshop sessions. It provided an independent, professional forum for careers practitioners from the 14-19 and HE sectors to engage in constructive discussion and effective knowledge sharing.

The conference focussed on the transition between education and the workplace, what this transition looks like and how careers practitioners, work experience and higher education can support the decision-making process.

Alongside the programme of topical, practical and subject-focused workshops, three new strands were added to the conference:

Labour Market Information Masterclasses:

exploring key market sectors such as engineering, health care and IT, presenting participants with a clear sectoral overview

Employer Insights:

a series of workshops presented by employers to give participants an understanding of the career routes open to both school leavers and graduates

Fringe Sessions:

providing further scope for participants to network and build relationships around issues of shared interest.

Keynote Speakers included:

Bill Rammell MP, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills

Professor Deian Hopkin, Vice-Chancellor, London South Bank University

John Stone, Chief Executive, Learning and Skills Network

Rob Wye, National Director, Learning and Skills Council

Conference Chairs

John Widdowson, Principal, New College Durham

Anthony McClaran, Chief Executive, UCAS

Jeffrey Defries, Chief Executive, CRAC: The Career Development Organisation

Participants

The conference brought together careers advisers and other careers staff working in or on behalf of schools and colleges in the field of information, advice and guidance, policy makers, admissions staff in higher education institutions and employers.

Contact the CRAC Events Team for further information on the conference.