In the News - February 2008

Parents put pressure on children's educational/career choices

Educational charity Edge asks on its homepage: 'Parents: are you forcing your kids in the wrong direction?' Edge's mission is to promote vocational coureses and training. The charity:

• offers parents information on vocational alternatives such as apprenticeships
• advises parents to discuss a whole range of options with their children.

The charity also carried out a survey with youngsters. Some findings:

• gaining work experience is the biggest barrier to attaining desired careers
• lack of practical experience whilst learning is also a barrier
• 66% of respondents said that they were encouraged to go to university - but only 26% had been advised to take up practical and vocational courses.

The CEO of Edge comments: 'The results of this survey demonstrate how worried young people are about their chances of getting the jobs they want, mainly because the education and training offered to them does not prepare them for the workplace. So many qualifications are mislabelled, particularly degrees, and look as through they will lead to great careers whereas in reality they are theoretical, classroom-based courses that offer little value.'

ICG private practitioners' community

The ICG have set up a new online community for guidance professionals working solely or partially as independent practitioners. The objective is to ease feelings of isolation, to exchange views and to help each other out with complex enquiries. Members wishing to meet up face-to-face will be able to do so.