Exploring the links between the Blueprint and existing programmes to further develop career development in Somerset Skills & Learning

Return to Learn courses 20hr courses- Make Your Experience Count, Volunteering in Your Community and Volunteering in a School Setting Job seeking initiatives Ways into Work to prepare people for the workplace through sector skills specific Routeways, CV writing, job applications and interview preparation. An ESF funded Skills for Jobs project which has a programme of careers advice at all stages of the learner journey including after care once participants are in work. All courses are embedded with literacy

The aims of the ‘Blueprint action plan’ were to explore the links between the Blueprint ‘Area A’ and Make Your Experience Count And area ‘C’ with Employability initiatives mapping the outcomes from the courses and testing the Blueprint materials with learners.

Area A ‘Make Your Experience Count’ Acknowledge and recognise strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledge and recognise skills and investigate ways of self-improvement Acknowledge and assess current life situations and relationships. Develop the ability to make positive decisions. Set personal objectives and make action plans for self- improvement

The Blueprint Build and maintain a positive self concept Interact positively and effectively with others Change and grow throughout life

Results and feedback The group liked the idea of a framework and particularly saw its relevance for their children and, once explained to them, they saw that their own levels of confidence and skills development fitted into the framework. They enjoyed the concept of a career path and an aspiration to reach their final goals. Most didn’t have goals when they started the course and since they didn’t ever receive career advice from their school they didn’t see the relevance when they first started. Even though they didn’t have aspirations for themselves they did for their children. ‘Any old job did for me when I left school - I want something different for my children, something for them to work towards to help them get a good job’

Feedback from the learners was that they felt that the worksheets were rather school orientated. They valued an informal approach to learning and, in most cases, didn’t know what they wanted to learn and didn’t realise that they were learning until they received positive feedback from their tutor.

The tutor felt that, as the literacy part of the course is an essential feature, she needed ‘free’ writing in order to assess and work towards a diagnostic assessment in the first part of the course ‘The (Australian) workbooks were very comprehensive and covered a lot but I found them a little overwhelming’

‘Skills for Jobs’ Engage learners who are low skilled Increase skills in English, maths, IT Provide careers advice and give an opportunity to experience new career directions through sector specific Routeways and/ or work experience. Gain qualifications in order to improve opportunities in job seeking Prepare for the workplace and maintain a balance once in work through support for the first 13 weeks of work Promote a culture of further training whilst in work

The Blueprint Area C Secure or create and maintain work Make career-enhancing decisions Maintain balanced life and work roles Understand the changing nature of life and work roles Understand, engage in and manage the career- building process

Feedback This group found the language of the Blueprint difficult and they needed support to access it. However, once supported, they found it a very useful focus for them to consider work options and associated training available to them.

‘The Blueprint covers what you would want from a career, how hard you are prepared to work or study for it, how much it will cost to train or study, your work values and the probability that you will not have job for life and that there may be several career changes due to redundancy. I wish I had received this when I was at school’

Impact L got a job from the Blueprint MYEC group. She had severe depression as a result of financial poverty. Her house was re-possessed before Christmas and she was re-housed on an undesirable estate. Using the Blueprint approach she and her tutor were able to focus on positive outcomes and realistic opportunities for employment which would enable her to start to rebuild her life. The Blueprint gave her the realisation that she had the skills and the confidence to apply for jobs.

J is much more able to negotiate his tenancy arrangements; rather than shouting and screaming he is much more able to negotiate now using assertiveness techniques

The MYEC Blueprint course enabled L to consider his skills and motivate him. In the ‘personal banner’ exercise he wrote a detailed narrative of the stages of his life experience. He focussed his drawing skills on a pictorial representation in the form of cogs of machines colour coded to represent quarters of his life

First quarter: How I feel now. It is grey and dull colours. The windmill shows my main driving forces. The missing cogs need to be replaced to motivate me

Second quarter What makes me happy The machine has a direction – I am happiest when everything is going well and I have something to aim for It is connected to the first quarter and is green It will make me happy when the machine works again

Third quarter What I am proud of It is in orange The windmills represent the achievements I am most proud of and they motivate me

Forth quarter How I want to feel in the future I have used blue and linked it to the third quarter as my achievements will help me in the future The clock shows a change in time It is also in grey to show I can hold onto things in my past to help me in the future The machine break off in several directions. The focal point shows that I want to have a main direction to focus on

"I have long argued for the creation of an all- age careers service; a unified, consistent service that offers seamless support to young people as they make the transition to adulthood and have a true focus on lifelong learning. Careers guidance is the engine room of social mobility and social justice." John Hayes

The Blueprint will be an excellent vehicle in the all age careers service and will support providers in their new legal duties for delivery of IAG using the principles of the new all age service.