Down But Not Out

This Post is all about  the future of a credible Careers service.

Current Followers to my Tweets and Posts will know I've been warning about the imposed careers void since the start of the year. It seems in the last month, careers professionals and so-called 'influencers' have been catching on...slowly waking to the nightmare which is becoming reality for the UK.

I suppose the main issue for me is this : For over 20 years the Careers 'service' has actually been fragmented; there are those advisers that work within Education, there are those that work in other sectors - and there are those that seem to be too far from where they started at practitioner level, and have sought to rub shoulders with the politicians in the hope of influencing them.

When fragmented, there is a greater reliance among professionals for a strong and influential professional body to represent them - a total reliance on these 'influencers' to protect, enhance, represent and guide.

I dont think anyone involved with Careers can question the ineffectiveness of the Careers influencers over this recent period when Government has been looking for 'soft' targets - it was a time when they needed to show strength, professionalism and, most importantly, a togetherness. It didn't happen, did it?

The Careers profession is weaker today than it has ever been. Those influencers? They failed; they failed for a number of reasons - they were naive with Government, they were too focused on survival rather than progression, they were effectively 'bought' with the promise of the all new All Age Career Service (AACS). I remember vividly the ICG Conference in Belfast when John Hayes MP launched the AACS as a strategy - and Careers professionals clapped in a delirous frenzy. One problem - they forgot to ask where's the money coming from to pay for the new AACS. That was the naivity perhaps.

What can be done now?

Well, to rely on those that have failed repeatedly before would be like continuing to bet Red on a Black-only roulette table. Crazy.

I know many of you have already made the change - seeking organisations that really can provide a modern and contemporary membership collective that protects and shapes the future of a Careers and Information service. But you know, with fantastic social media channels such as Twitter, the virtual collective could, over time, represent a thoroughly modern membership model - a model where we develop our own social capital and influence, share our knowledge and experience - dare I say, not be so precious about what and who we know but play for the 'team' ?

The shredded remnants of the UK's Career service will be scattered further by the Government's 'ill' wind of change - it is for those that care about the service (rather than their own profile with Government) to dig in now.

From here, we begin the fight back. We should not accept anything that results in the lessening of a careers service - and that is what is coming, make no mistake.

Time for those that care about the future life chances of the next generation to stand up and be heard - because, i think you know now that noone else will do this, for you.

We re-group around the old 'banner'and go forward, together - but not with the old leadership - it really is time for a new future for Careers professionals. Perhaps its time for a new organisation to pick up the baton.

Keep the faith!