NAEGA welcomes the support of our sponsors, to see further information and contact details click on the links below:
Conference sponsors
Since the creation of the single European Market in 1992, Careers Europe has been the UK National Resource Centre for International Careers Information, providing resources to Careers services, Connexions services and other information and advisory services throughout the UK. Careers Europe operates as the UK Euroguidance Centre within a network of such centres across the European Union, promoting the European dimension in guidance and mobility in Europe and other popular destinations for purposes of study, training and work, providing a comprehensive careers information and research service for all UK guidance practitioners.
Careers Europe offers a range of products and services supporting careers guidance and careers education. These include: information materials, curriculum support materials, help and advice, as well as training and presentations.
Website: www.careerseurope.co.uk
CASCAiD is one of the UK’s leading providers of information, advice and guidance software, with a range of highly regarded products designed to support advisers and clients. Recent developments include:
Adult Directions Online offers instant and flexible access to careers and skills matching to help adults with their career decisions. This client-focused program offers quick and easy access to different areas of the program depending on the client's needs. They can generate their own personalised list of careers and/or carry out their own skills audit.
Careerscape Online provides detailed careers information, real-life case studies, topical articles and lots more.
Able To Succeed is a publication that looks at disabilities, health and job choice. It is ideal for organisations and professionals who provide careers advice and information to clients with common health conditions.
Website:www.cascaid.co.uk
CFE is a not for profit research and development consultancy that brings practical insights to policy questions. We create actionable ideas and then add the research and management expertise that brings them to life.
CFE has over 10 years experience working in collaboration with policy makers, businesses and public bodies at national, regional, sub-regional and local level.
We provide a range of services to support the effective development and implementation of policy in four inter-related areas:
- Business & Enterprise
- Economic Development
- Employment & Work
- Skills & Innovation
Both government and provider organisations work with CFE for timely results delivered on the basis of a deep understanding of the issues in hand. We work to turn ideas and concepts into practical policies that work on the ground.
CFE recognises that increasing employment rates, raising attainment levels and supporting individuals into work thorough practical support, information, advice and guidance are all vital to tackling deprivation and reducing inequalities.
We have a range of knowledge and experience in working strategically and operationally on government led initiatives in the IAG and welfare to work arena. Our work in this area includes:
- Exploring the provision of IAG services through public libraries in the north east, for Museums Libraries Archives North East
- Research and mapping of Employment and Skills Boards, for four government departments
- Higher Education and Employer Engagement, for East Midlands Universities Association (EMUA) Management of Skills Coaching trials, for the national Learning and Skills Council
- Evaluation of the Integrated IAG service, for the national Learning and Skills Council
- Sector Skills Agreement for Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK)
- Review of Jobcentre Plus joint working trials, for the national Learning and Skills Council
Through our work we have relationships regionally and nationally with Jobcentre Plus, nextstep contractors, the Learning and Skills Council, learndirect and Lifelong Learning UK, and understand what is involved with joint and partnership working and the impact of different delivery models and structures.
The focus of our work in this area is the individual service user’s perspective on the provision of services and working closely in supporting practitioners delivering services for target client groups.
A general understanding of the area has been developed through our work including:
- Sharing best practice
- Monitoring performance and targets
- Trialling new services
- Developing and testing policy options
- Troubleshooting
- Analysing data and statistics
- Investigating barriers to learning and employment
- Making realistic and implementable recommendations
For more information about CFE and our work in the area of employment and work please visit our website at www.cfe.org.uk.
JCA is a leading people development and assessment business. Our mission is to increase people’s effectiveness, emotional intelligence and wellbeing at work.
We enable organisations to get the best out of people in a sustainable way by applying a range of scalable consulting, training and product solutions as well as using our MAPS+™ toolkit to increase motivation and self-esteem in both young people and adults. MAPS+™ is one of the most powerful models and toolkits available for client intervention; Assessing, Motivating and moving individuals forward. Originally designed in 1996 to reduce drop out from Modern Apprenticeships, MAPS+™ has since been enhanced through communication with our clients to service the needs of a multitude of agencies and their professionals. MAPS+™ is based upon the premise that everyone has potential, at the least, sufficient to learn the basic life skills to become socially competent and to have self-esteem.
By removing barriers (negative attitudes) effective behaviour will be more spontaneous, developing and creating positive outcomes thus leading to individuals who are much more prepared and positive towards education, training and employment opportunities.
The Toolkit approach in MAPS+™ allows customers to either fully train, purchasing all five modules or to customise programmes specifically using parts of the product that relates to their specific needs.
Website: www.jca.biz
Information and advice: more than the sum of its parts
The LSC funds information and advice services for adults in England and is looking forward to the new Adult Advancement and Careers Service. LSC Lifelong Learning Director, Louise Proctor, explains. The LSC is proud to be a conference sponsor as it has funded and recognised the importance of good information and advice services for adults since 2001.
Information and advice is a service that can increase the confidence levels, skills base and earning ability of its recipients. If, as the old TV ad went, we all remember a good teacher – so too we will remember a good careers adviser.
Good information and advice services play a vital role in retaining learners and making sure that they reach their full potential. Further Education Colleges offer embedded information and advice services that bring together course content, qualification levels and industry needs with the expertise and enthusiasm of course tutors.
Many customers like to have one-to-one contact with an adviser and nextstep offers a tailored face-to-face service which targets those yet to achieve a first Level 2 qualification and particular groups such as women returning to work after having a family.
Currently the LSC is carrying out a major procurement exercise for nextstep services for the next two years. This focus of the new service will be broader in order to ease the transition to the new adult advancement and careers service which comes into being in 2010 offering careers information and advice to adults of all ages regardless of qualification levels, while working in closer partnerships across government departments and agencies.
Delivery methods have evolved too and learndirect advice offers a wide-ranging web-based service where customers can log onto www.learndirect.co.uk to find information about hundreds of different careers, courses and qualifications, as well as contacting advisers by email. Businesses can also access the site for advice and online training for their staff.
Since January 2006, learndirect advice has carried out a trial using the phone as a primary means of offering guidance services. The indications are that the trial has been successful.
In an increasingly competitive global economy, good information and advice services are a vital component in helping the country become better skilled. Working closely with employers, businesses and the 25 Sector Skills Councils, the LSC’s Train to Gain programme offers impartial advice on training to help businesses improve their performance by ensuring that their employees gain the right skills. For more information please go to: www.traintogain.gov.uk The LSC also funds the Offenders’ Learning and Skills Service (OLASS), involving partnerships of local services to help offenders develop skills and find work after leaving prison. For more please log onto: olass.lsc.gov.uk
This is an exciting time for careers information and advice – and the LSC is much looking forward to working with our many colleagues and partners as we develop the adult advancement and careers service for 2010.
Morrisby are leaders in the supply and development of psychometric test systems and services to careers advice and guidance professionals and to HR specialists within a wide range of industrial and commercial settings.
The Morrisby Profile is used by schools, colleges and those delivering adult guidance as a key part of their guidance programme. While the Morrisby Guidance Service, which combines the Morrisby Profile with a careers interests questionnaire has assisted over 1,000,000 people in assessing their abilities.
HR professionals use our psychometric assessments to aid them in the selection of candidates. The Morrisby Profile allows for profiling and competency based recruitment and development.
Other Morrisby products include CourseFinder, a system designed to help potential HE students to find their ideal course.
Website: www.morrisby.com
For all your careers, curriculum and IAG resources Prospects supply a range of books, software, DVDs, games and posters to institutions and organisations including schools, Connexions & career companies, universities & colleges and training providers across the UK, offering a fast, efficient service.
Prospects for Schools Commended for our wide range of resources we supply hundreds of titles from many different publishers, including all the key titles that no careers library can do without. We produce a free, annual catalogue containing over 1,000 specially selected resources.
Prospects for Connexions and Local Authorities Prospects can:
- Provide a one-stop-shop solution for all careers resources and software
- Offer generous discounts
- Manage allocated school funding
- Organise resource fairs
- Manage software subscriptions
- Provide catalogues and online ordering for your schools
- Give expert advice to help schools with their choice
- Provide tailored management information
- Audit Connexions Resources Centres and careers libraries
Prospects for Universities, FE Colleges and Training Providers Prospects has years of experience helping institutions and professionals select careers and education resources to provide information, advice and guidance. The resources guide students, trainees and returners to the labour market through the process of
- career selection,
- job-hunting, job applications and CV completion,
- learning routes,
- opportunities,
- life-skills,
- finance.
At www.prospects-sales.co.uk you can view hundreds of titles and use our advanced searching facility to find resources by age range, title, media or genre.
learndirect Careers Advice provides free, impartial information and advice on nearly a million courses and learning opportunities across the UK, as well as advice on careers, returning to work, funding and childcare.
Information, advice and guidance is key to helping people understand their career and personal development options. The learndirect Careers Advice service aims to make nationally co-ordinated information on learning and careers as accessible as possible.
Context
For the nation’s skills to be world-class, the skills message needs to be spelt out more effectively, explaining what improved skills can mean to both the individual and to business.
People and employers need to be equipped with the information and encouragement they need to learn new skills, with advice and guidance along the way.
Ufi is established as a market leader in information, advice and guidance services in the UK. learndirect Careers Advice is a nationally recognised and trusted brand with a reputation for quality and consistency.
The learndirect Careers Advice line
learndirect Careers Advice offers information and advice on learning and careers over the phone. Advisers are based at helplines in Leicester and Manchester. There are three levels of adviser who each handle different types of calls:
- Information Advisers help callers to find a course or arrange for information to be sent to them.
- Learning Advisers help callers who need information on a particular career or advice on funding or childcare.
- Careers Coaches help callers decide on a career path based on the callers’ skills and interests. learndirect Careers Advice also has a team of bi-lingual advisers who can provide information and advice in a caller’s own language.
Careers Coaches now also offer in-depth careers advice and guidance. Launched in January 2006, this is the first time adult careers guidance has been offered over the phone in the UK. Subject to eligibility, the service is available on freephone 0800 100 900, and is free, impartial and confidential.
The learndirect Careers Advice website
Visit the learndirect Careers Advice website for extensive information on funding, courses, childcare and finding a job.
On the website you can:
- search for a course or course provider www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/findacourse
- email a learndirect adviser www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/contactus
- request a call from an adviser at a time to suit you www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/contactus/callme
- view job profiles www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpwithyourcareer/jobprofiles
VT Lifeskills was formed in November 2005 with the merging of VT Career Progressions, VT Hints and Lifeskills Publishing.
Since its formation the company has rapidly become one of the UK’s leading providers of career software and resources. These support adults and young people whether in employment, education, training or seeking employment.
Our software programs are based on a sophisticated psychometric assessment process (JIIG-CAL System) that matches an adult’s interests, abilities, skills and work style preferences to a comprehensive job database. For the more academically able client it matches to higher education subject areas and courses at HE institutions - Pathfinder + HE and the web based PathfinderLive.
SkillCheck and SkillCheck Live, the web site version to be launched in the autumn, examine key skills and work related skills and match these to suitable jobs. SkillCheck is most suitable for those adults of low academic ability, who lack confidence in their ability or who are unaware of their skills.
Other programs include Odyssey, Profile Builder and Jobfile Lite.
Adult Options (Pathfinder (+HE/Live) + SkillCheck + Jobfile Lite is a flexible package, at a competitive price, especially designed for those working with adults.
VT Lifeskills produces a wide range of information and learning resources. Jobfile, the essential careers handbook is the best selling occupation information reference book with information on nearly 840 jobs and 1450 job titles for adults. It can be purchased with a CD standalone version; Jobfile Lite.
By the autumn of 2008 the Working In…booklets will total 24 job titles. These booklets cover a range of jobs in identified career and subject areas with case studies to support them.
VT Lifeskills is committed to providing quality software and resources for those working in the adult market.
Website: www.vtlifeskills.co.uk
For further information email: naega@emmm.co.uk