Scotland's careers strategy: moving forward

3. National Model Of Delivery: Underpinning A Universal Entitlement To Career, Information Advice And Guidance

To collectively address future skills demands, deliver inclusive growth and sustained economic prosperity for Scotland, publicly-funded CIAG providers will adopt a shared set of principles for helping individuals understand their aspirations, skills and contribution to Scotland. Career-related learning will start early, and be continued through lifelong career education, information, advice and guidance. This will enable individuals to build confidence and resilience, to make decisions and to apply their unique talents and skills in fast changing learning and work environments.

The development of a ‘National Model of Delivery’ in Scotland will build on the strengths and diversity of the existing range of services available to individuals. Fragmentation can undermine coherency and accessibility for users, so improved alignment and inter-connectivity of CIAG products and services will enable individuals to seamlessly transition between institutions, organisations and practitioners. Moving forward, we will build on the strengths and diversity of the existing range of career and employability services. The model will enable a coherent blended approach, including both universal services for all and a targeted approach to service delivery for supporting individuals to develop their career management skills based on individual needs. 

The way individuals can interact with career services must be made clear from the outset – career education, information, advice and guidance must be consistent, coherent and supportive. We will build on the entitlements and expectations embedded within formal education and through the implementation of the Career Education Standard 3-18^[13]. The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Act 2013^[14] placed a duty on key partners such as Local Authorities, Colleges and the Scottish Funding Council to share information, with Skills Development Scotland, on all 16-24 year olds in Scotland. Since the inception of the Act strong partnership working between Skills Development Scotland, Education Departments and secondary schools, has led to improvements in data such as: anticipated school leaving date and young people with a preferred destination and preferred occupation. This is designed to support the progression and transition stages of a young person’s career journey.

The recommendations of the 15-24 Learner Journey Review report build upon the work being taken forward from early years onwards, including Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC)^[15], Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)^[16], Developing the Young Workforce (DYW)^[17], raising attainment and wider work to secure excellence and equity. The role of lifelong learning beyond this age is also crucial with greater emphasis on the skills and meta-skills needed in the current economic climate.

The Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group, NHS Health Scotland, Skills Development Scotland, and the Scottish Prison Service, are working in partnership with the Scottish Government to develop and deliver the ambitions of the ‘No-one Left Behind’ reforms and explore ways of a more joined up approach to employability support for people of all-ages. 

A coherent and consistent way of working across CIAG services will better support individuals to experience a recognisable lifelong accessible service with each partner agency playing their part. A common career information, advice and guidance approach will support greater communication, co-operation and collaborative partnership working and alignment of targeted support and services, ensuring the greatest impact for those most in need.

It is important that individuals are supported by the system from an early stage in order to understand and respond to career demands proactively and access support effectively. Career education, information, advice and guidance currently embedded through the implementation of the Developing the Young Workforce programme within Scottish education will provide the initial access point for this.  

Partnerships In Action

A national network of 21 industry-led Developing the Young Workforce (DYW)  Regional Groups has been established covering the whole of Scotland. The creation and development of the Groups is designed to ensure that all of Scotland’s young people are fully and fairly supported into employment by bridging the gap between education and employers.

CIAG services in Scotland will therefore adopt a consistent needs-sensitive model that recognises the age and stage of individuals and enables effective targeting or promotion of services and support those who need it most. This will be particularly evident at key transition points. For example, progressing through learning and training stages, moving beyond learning towards work, gaining work, whilst in work, and responding to career changes, when current work is under threat such as redundancy or redeployment. 

How will the world be different?

• Provision will be higher quality 
• Efficiencies of scale will be achieved
• Transitions into and between providers will be smoother
• Provision will be more responsive to demand and need
• More people (and especially those with greatest needs) will access and value CIAG)

The National Delivery Model underpinning the universal entitlement to CIAG will clarify the roles and responsibilities of key delivery partners and practitioners in order to ensure key principles are collectively met. These principles include:

All individuals in Scotland, regardless of age or circumstance, will be entitled to free, impartial careers information and personalised advice and guidance 

Every individual in Scotland is entitled to have access to impartial career, information, advice and guidance services, at the point at which they need them. This includes both digital and face-to-face services situated within local communities. With advancing technology, the accessibility and reach of career guidance services will be extended. 

Those with the greatest need can expect more intensive support

It is critical to target our collective resources effectively and efficiently to those who need more intensive support. Targeted interventions at an early stage of a person’s career journey, through effective CIAG, will continue to be used. This targeted level of support will also include people working in industries at high risk of automation.

All customers will be treated with dignity and respect

People from all walks of life should be treated with dignity and respect and have access to up-to-date and trustworthy CIAG services provided to help them realise their potential.

Career information, advice and guidance will be recognisable and coherent

Blended CIAG, whereby individuals can make use of resources through multiple formats, offer individuals access to face-to-face, digital and telephone. Individuals are encouraged and empowered to engage in a way that suits their age, stage and context. Through a coherent and blended CIAG service, individuals will recognise and understand the value of engaging in lifelong career development at their individual points of need.

Career management skills will be a consistent focus of provision

A common language and approach is necessary across the services to support individuals to progressively develop and harness their career management skills^[18] on a lifelong basis. 

Continuous professional development will be consistently available to practitioners.

A commitment to sharing continuous professional development (CPD) across the careers system to learn from good and interesting policies and practices at all levels in education, training, employability and local community services. This should help break down working silos and enable genuine collaboration and peer learning.  

Services will utilise available data around the labour market and skills gaps

High-quality Labour Market Information will be used to inform people about the labour market to help people understand current opportunities, those forecast to grow in the future and the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to adapt and thrive. It will also assist industries and sectors in addressing skills gaps and shortages. 

Moving forward, agencies will be encouraged to work collaboratively to embed the key principles of the framework.