If it was possible to reduce the life chances of young people in the UK further, we can deduce from the cuts to Youth Services (which in turn have decimated Connexions services) that the Government is hell bent on finding out just how bad a Careers Service can get before it is, no longer, a 'service'.
Connexions and Youth Service workers up and down the UK have been made redundant from front line services to young people.
The 'new' AACS (All Age Careers Service) will be starting life with not just one arm tied behind its back but , as a complete basket case, in my opinion; potentially being demoted to unqualified staff in the corner of a JobCentre near you - where you might also be able to pick up an Apprenticeship opportunity or even a ...Job!
For young people in particular, it must be confusing - the majority of schools will continue to be pressured toward higher student numbers going on to HE, or otherwise they will become 'apprentices'. The funding issues surrounding HE options have been well documented so I wont go there, but suffice it to say that if ever there was little incentive to go on to HE, it could be now.
So, if HE is not the right option, is an Apprenticeship a realistic alternative option for the 'less academic' ? Well, it may have been once! However, with the new apprentice target numbers we have the potential danger of devaluing what being an apprentice actually means in a modern world ; we have already seen a similar devaluation in the graduate market place - alongside growing numbers of unemployed graduates as a result.
Its rather a bleak picture - when you add the context - that the 'Careers' market has been poorly served historically by the professional organisations that are in place to protect the profession; infact, if it wasnt for the supportive actions and foresight of the Trade Unions, the latest cuts could have been the final nail in the careers coffin.
So, what does the future landscape for careers look like? If you are a student or mature person looking for quality advice it comes down to postcode lottery or your own social capital. If you are a Careers Adviser, then you are one of the lucky few to still be in post; the private sector offers you potentially a future, all be it a different role in a modern market place where you will need to be flexible and adaptive.
So much for Big Society - for Careers, particularly in school, HT's will be spending much more time trying to evaluate the offerings from a myriad of potential new CEIAG suppliers - with many being shallow offerings that are weak replacements and could be argued sub standard going forward for young people.
There has been some recent and lively debate about 'techno natives' recently ( see @timbuckteeth on Twitter ) - but whether you agree that the 'young' are indeed this new techno savvy breed, or not, we may all have to agree that, when it comes to CEIAG, their technical knowledge may end up being their own salvation.
So, I predict that membership numbers of organisations such as the Institute of Career Guidance will fall substantially during this period of a new AACS - having failed to influence Government sufficiently to safeguard its members' futures, those that are left when the dust settles (and they will be fewer in number), may well look toward other futures - and with Library cuts equally violent, options are looking thin on the ground.
We will miss the Connexions organisation dearly - and only time will now tell if the private sector will fill that gaping void.
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