Invitation to input into new qualifications for the Career Guidance sector
Posted: 6 October 2009
London - Tuesday 20 October 2009
Birmingham - Tuesday 27 October 2009
Newcastle - Wednesday 28 October 2009
9.30am - 2.00pm
Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) would like to invite you and your organisation to participate in a consultation event on the development of new qualifications for the career guidance sector.
Background
In 2007, Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK), with the support of the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA), commissioned the Centre for Guidance Studies (CeGS) to undertake a scoping study to help Lifelong Learning UK consider practical options for the future inclusion of career guidance specialist employers within our footprint.
The outcome of the study resulted in LLUK incorporating career guidance into the LLUK footprint and a project funded by UK Commission for Employment and Skills to provide workforce development for the career guidance sector.
Initial research has revealed gaps in the current qualifications available to the sector and so LLUK is proposing a new qualification framework that will provide a structure for the development and accreditation of staff and encourage progression in the sector.
The framework proposes 4 new qualifications made up of units that can also be used for continuous professional development (CPD) purposes. Research identified that employers believe that CPD is a critically important means of up-skilling practitioners and that the sector would benefit from more recognition of and support for structured CPD.
There is also a need to accredit the work of staff in the wider network of referral agencies in a way that allows them to access the full qualifications if required. Units on understanding the career information, advice and guidance sector, diagnosing and agreeing client need and effective referral are likely to be critical for such staff.
Proposed qualifications
The proposed qualifications are:
- Level 3 Award in Career Information, Advice and Employability Support
- Level 3 Certificate in Career Information, Advice and Employability Support
- Level 4 Diploma in Career Information, Advice and Employability Support
- Level 5 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development
The events
LLUK would like to invite you and other individuals from your organisation who are either professional career guidance practitioners, career guidance para-professionals (other staff fulfilling an information/advice role) or individuals responsible for recruiting and developing career guidance practitioners to attend a consultation event that will explore the appropriateness of the proposed qualifications and identify any barriers to the uptake of the qualifications.
The events will be held in London, Birmingham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne (see top of page for dates and times).
Please choose the date and location most convenient for you and register to attend by completing the attached booking form and returning it to careerguidance@lluk.org by 16 October 2009.
Once the consultation has closed, LLUK will consider responses, and revise the qualifications as appropriate. A report of the consultation will be made available on request.
If you have any questions about the consultation or the career guidance workforce development project, please contact either Ona Ojukwu or Rachael Baines-Holmes on 020 7002 7828.