Can aspiration kill local community? Challenges for young people and career practitioners in Sri Lanka

Raising aspiration is a primary focus of careers work. However, in some circumstances enhanced aspirations may create tensions in situations of limited accessible opportunity. Additionally focusing on the autonomy of the individual and their choice can impact more broadly on local community. This article will explore the importance of locating career guidance in context, specifically in relation to some of the issues facing career practitioners working in Sri Lanka. These practitioners seek to inspire young people to a range of careers whilst remaining conscious of the individual and local impacts that may result. It will consider the concept of 'foundation' which encompasses the physical, social, religious and spiritual, cultural and political environment and the role this might play in providing a holistic model for career guidance

Professional Identity : what I call myself defines who I am

The article explores professional identity and the the contributors that contribute to this. It particularly focuses on the roles of job titles and CPD in contributing to defining how practitioners see themselves within a professional context

A careers adviser? so what do you do exactly?

This paper aims to explore and examine how professional identity is defined within career guidance in England in the wake of ongoing change. It considers the components and the factors that contribute to the formation of professional identity, and the relationship with postgraduate continuing professional development (CPD). The study draws on the perceptions of a group of England-based practitioners broadly representing the sector, but bounded by one common factor; they have all undertaken a postgraduate qualification focusing on CPD within a guidance related discipline

The Gypsy and Traveller communities’ housing dispute against the Localism Tenet – Social and Cultural definition of Gypsy and Traveller status and gender issues

Financial Support from the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme of the European Union-JUSTICE 12 project

Hidden agenda in the last decade Localism and Housing Acts in the UK. Where is the good practice in East and West Midlands case studies?

Localism acts such as Act 2011 have always accompanied and reinforced Planning Acts. For example, in Planning Act 2008, National Policy Statements describe clearly a single commissioner’s role and tasks to handle application; they also define the cases in which the Secretary of State is a final decision-maker. Planning acts describe the meaning of ‘owner’, allocation of housing accommodation and acquisition of land. On the other hand, with the help of Localism Acts enforcing rules, regulations and continuous amendments, some local communities have successfully challenged Gypsy planning applications as in our case studies in East and West Midlands. Since several years and looking back in time, policy-makers and extremely conservative locals have always challenged planning applications of Gypsy individuals and communities by successfully repealing provisions of local authorities through petitions and other abusive behaviour at times. Although Housing Act promises to make provisions about housing, secure tenancy and also about mobile homes and the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers, it may also contain contradictory content in ‘schedules’, ‘service notices’ and ‘appeals to prohibition notices’, ‘management orders’, which may encourage locals to oppose local authorities decisions about Gypsy protected sites. However the most sinister decisions and campaigns against Gypsy sites and planning permissions have been triggered mainly by the Localism acts and by notions of who has the right to be a ‘local person’ having the right to make an application and/or acquire land to be used as a protected site.European funded project 'Wor(l)ds which Exclude

Enhancing professionalism - progressing the career development sector

Much has changed in the career development sector since the launch of the Careers Profession Task Force report, ‘Towards a Strong Careers Profession’ in 2010. The report made recommendations for enhancing the professionalism of the career sector including the establishment of an overarching professional body, new qualification levels and common professional standards. The Careers Profession Alliance (CPA) and then the Career Development Institute (CDI), launched in April 2013 have striven to facilitate the sector to be stronger and more cohesive by addressing these recommendations. This article explores what was needed, what has been achieved and plans for the future

A workforce development strategy for the Adult Career Information, Advice and Guidance workforce in England

This paper outlines Lifelong Learning UK’s approach to the development of a Workforce Development Strategy for the adult career information, advice and guidance workforce in England. Lifelong Learning UK, the independent employer-led sector skills council (SSC) with strategic responsibility for the workforce development of staff working in the lifelong learning sector, brought adult career information, advice and guidance (CIAG) into its footprint in April 2009, thereby providing all employers within the adult CIAG sector in England with the opportunity to engage with a strategic UK wide perspective for workforce planning and development

I am here to learn biology, not 'personal development': testing the blueprint for Careers

University careers services in the UK are increasingly challenged to contribute to ensuring graduates find, obtain and engage with graduate level opportunities. Parallel to this the range of graduate opportunities has become increasingly competitive. All universities strive to identify and promote their added value to the academic experience. The Blueprint for Careers (LSIS, 2011a) builds on international practice in developing career management competencies. It offers a useful framework, which can be used by careers professionals to work with students and academics to review and assess the attainment of career competencies. This multi-layered research project utilised an on-line questionnaire, student peer researcher training and focus groups to engage a sample of students across all faculties of the university. The indicative findings present a mixed picture, with students generally feeling most confident about their attitudes to lifelong learning, and how changes in society impact on life, learning and work. Areas of least confidence focused on the ability to make effective career and life decisions and planning and managing life, learning and work. In relation to programme provision students welcomed opportunities to engage in extra curricular activities but demanded more focused and relevant work experience opportunities

More questions than answers: the role of practitioner research in professional practice.

The concept of the career guidance practitioner viewing themselves as a professional is currently being challenged (Colley and Lewin, 2008; Greer, 2009). During the last decade there has been a concerted effort to support practitioners in engaging with research both as an agent and as a recipient to enhance practice and to drive forward the concept of the professional. This paper presents examples of progress within this endeavour and the views of practitioners who have engaged in research activities, either as part of their role or as dedicated continuing professional development (CPD). Throughout this paper we explore the role of research within the concepts of profession and professional practice; drawing on literature and primary research that captures views from two groups of practitioners. That careers guidance is a profession is an assumed reality for many practitioners and the organisations that represent them (and our own stance is that it is indeed a profession and we refer to it as such throughout this paper)