Last year the Government appointed a Select Committee to assess the availability and access to careers guidance for those still within the school system.
The report has just been published and its findings are not good. The report states that ‘career services within schools have deteriorated and without urgent intervention from Government they are likely to deteriorate further’.
Why should this affect us? Careers Guidance and career planning should start from an early age; everyone should have access to impartial careers advice; and this is particularly important when children are choosing options for GCSE or A Level, and then making University choices. The future book industry of tomorrow needs to know that there are vibrant media industries they can join; their education and careers selection should be based on informed choices.
It is not unusual to find careers advice within schools given by teachers or unqualified advisors and the dangers for misinformation or loaded information are high – ‘I didn’t get a job in that industry, so you won’t’ and ‘you don’t want to go to that new sixth form college, you can study at our school’. This lack of professional careers guidance can permanently affect an individual’s subject choices and ultimately their career.
Think back to when you were still at school, what careers advice were you given? Did anyone suggest publishing as a possible career? (Did they even know about publishing as a career?) At what stage did you choose the path where you are today? Does anyone ever suggest publishing as a career option today?