Investigating the provision of careers information in schools
Sarah McNicol
Library and Information Research Volume 29, Number 92, Summer 2005, pp3-12
Refereed Paper
The author
Sarah McNicol is a researcher at evidence base
research and evaluation services at the University of
Central England in Birmingham.
Abstract
A detailed study of careers information provision in
secondary schools and its impact on students’ decision
making in relation to future careers, training and
employment is long overdue. Through interviews with
Connexions partnerships and case studies in four
schools in the West Midlands region, this research
aimed to investigate how careers information (in the
library and elsewhere) can be provided most effectively
in schools to ensure it is accessible and useful to
students. Although the time allocated within the
curriculum for careers education is being reduced and
not all students are now automatically entitled to a
careers interview, few students are likely to spend time
investigating careers independently. Even careers
libraries or information centres which are attractive
and well stocked are not well-used by students. The
skills of library staff might be harnessed more
effectively than is the case at present to help to
improve careers provision in schools.
|
Updated: 15 February 2006