By Louise Archer (Professor of Sociology of Education, King’s College London)
Professor Louise Archer discusses the findings from a report based on 13,421 Year 11 students regarding their opinions and experiences of careers education and work experience.
What did the report find?
- 63% of students had received any form of careers education
- 57% of students reported to be satisfied with the careers education they received
- 45% of students had experienced a work experience placement
Who is missing out?
- Provision is ‘patchy’ and ‘patterned’
- Students who experienced more careers advice were more likely to report high levels of satisfaction
- ‘Underserved’ groups and those who could benefit most were not accessing careers education
- Boys were 1.27 times more likely to receive careers education
- Those with higher levels of cultural capital were 1.49 times more likely to receive careers education
- Students in the north-east, north-west and Yorkshire were significantly less likely to have participated in work experience
What do the students say?
- Careers education by Year 11 is too late to be effective
- Students are reluctant to attend careers sessions that are not compulsory
- They want advice to be impartial and unbiased
The findings are based on the report ASPIRES 2 Project Spotlight: Year 11 Students’ Views of Careers Education and Work Experience by Louise Archer and Julie Moote. Department of Education and Professional Studies, King’s College London. Download the report here. Read a summary here.