of IAG for the 14-19 Group
Tuesday 3 July 2007, Keyworth Centre, London South Bank University
Connexions has been the organisational and funded mechanism for the delivery of external and impartial Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) for young people 14-19, including specialist career IAG, for the past half dozen years. From April 2008 the funding for this service will transfer from Connexions to local authorities within the new arrangements for Children and Young People. The responsibility for the provision of the service follows the funding, including the statutory requirements for impartial career advice and guidance for all young people aged 14-19 - up to age 25 in the case of those with learning difficulties or disability, as well as support for career learning – careers education and guidance (CEG) - in schools. The Connexions brand may or may not be retained, and there will be no ring-fence around the monies so transferred.
In addition, the door will be open – although rather more closed than at first seemed to be the case – for 14-19 learning providers to ‘opt out’ of the local authority provision of IAG if they are not satisfied with the new arrangements and can demonstrate the shortfalls. In those circumstances the funding is devolved to the provider.
This NICEC Network Seminar was an opportunity to examine some of the key issues informed by recent work with Connexions partnerships and Local Authorities as they prepare for 2008, consider the implications for 14-19 providers and contribute to the thinking in mapping the way forward.
The seminar was highly participative. Attendees had the opportunity to put questions, be part of small group discussions, and frame the issues emerging.
What’s happening to Connexions?
Professor Tony Watts, NICEC Fellow and Allister McGowan, NICEC Chair have recently undertaken a survey of all Connexions Services, in which Heads of Service were asked to share their thinking about the future. The outcomes from this work are now available.
What are the implications for local authorities and schools?
Barbara McGowan, NICEC Senior Fellow and Allister McGowan recently undertook work for Central London Connexions to draft a specification for the re-tendering of contracts with career specialist providers. An extensive consultation was conducted with the seven London Boroughs involved, and with the current career specialist providers. The outcomes produced a specification for the provision of IAG services for young people through career specialist providers. It also revealed a range of key issues that need to be addressed by local boroughs and their schools to ensure that the delivery of a high quality IAG service can be maintained and/or improved for young people. The resulting specification has been submitted as a response to the Consultation on National IAG Standards as a suggested framework for defining the outcomes of national quality standards for IAG. Most of the issues affecting local authorities and schools are more widely applicable than the context in which they arose.
The IAG policy context
David Rawding, Young People’s Information, Advice and Guidance team, Department for Education and Skills will set out the ongoing developments in policy including the new national quality standards and how IAG policy will be developed to meet the needs of other key initiatives such as the 14-19 reforms and raising the participation age.
For further information on this subject, please do not hesitate to contact:
