1. Where Next for AGCAS? Margaret Dane AGCAS Chief Executive

2. My story 18 th and last AGCAS Biennial Conference Studied French & English at St Andrews Summer job in Brook St recruitment agency Oxford St. in 1971 Went to my careers adviser who set up a week’s work experience Even then I felt there had to be a better way 1973 Employment & Training Act →local authority careers services Worked as older leaver specialist in Berkshire Joined Heriot-Watt & AGCAS in 1977 & active in AGCAS ever since Baby boomer → workaholic → grandmother and new young old

3. In the beginning Higher education services started as university appointments services, some over 100 years ago, but most in last 50 years AGCAS was founded as SCUAS in 1967 with around 40 member institutions in UK & Ireland & became AGCAS in 1977 to provide tailored services and support for Higher Education careers services AGCAS developed shared information resources with GP, held conferences, training and networking events to share knowledge, experience and good practice from the start

4. AGCAS training, events and professional development Building on its annual training programme, AGCAS qualification courses started in early 1990s with the University of Reading and ran for 20 years with constant updating and improvement In 2010 the AGCAS suite of qualification courses transferred to the University of Warwick as our new partners More recently AGCAS has developed much enhanced training for service leaders and managers at the annual Heads Conference

5. Consolidation and development For its first 20 years, AGCAS was entirely a voluntary body - it recruited its first staff in the late 1980s and now has 16 staff who have provided continuity, consistency and lots of hard work over the last decade & more AGCAS still relies on volunteers as: Board trustees & directors, trainers, task group members, writers and regional activists In 1999 AGCAS became a charity and in 2000 a company, thus taking on legal status along with statutory duties and obligations

6. Quality & recognising excellence In 2002 AGCAS agreed to make matrix accreditation a condition of membership – revised to every 6 years in 2005 In 2005 I reintroduced AGCAS awards to reward & recognise excellent practice AGCAS punches well above its weight and has a high profile with stakeholers Technology has revolutionised how AGCAS and its member services deliver what they do but much of this change is not recognised externally

7. Changing context Political context – devolved HE policies; different funding regimes and priorities Economic context – world debt; responsible for own health, education, pension Globalisation and internationalisation – role of UK in global knowledge economy Impact of technological development – exponential growth; uncertain future Graduate labour market – changing trends; graduate un- and under-employment; public v. private sector; service & manufacturing sectors; international dimension

8. Higher education context Diversity of institutional mission & strategy Focus on employability & league tables Impact of trebled tuition fees in England Competition within and beyond the UK for resources, the best students and staff Increasing fragmentation within the UK Marketisation of HE and careers provision QAA Codes of Practice including for CEIAG in HE institutions - revised 2010

9. Recent changes in careers services HE Careers Services have developed a stronger focus on work experience, employability & career management skills Many have been restructured often under student services - some have grown while others have suffered job losses The role of careers services is changing dramatically as reflected in the huge diversity of service titles and staff roles The positioning and structure of careers services is changing to reflect institutional drivers and priorities

10. Current challenges for HE careers services Making “careers” more palatable and attractive Need to change what you do and how you do it - reached end of the road with “old stuff” Everyone works in the careers business now Supporting international students in a hostile UK immigration context regarding student visas Increasingly diverse student needs & demands in response to the huge pressures on them “Careers services for young people in England are being slashed by up to 50% which could lead to 8,000 job losses, the public services union Unison says.” BBC News 4 August 2011

11. Current challenges for HE careers services Being the experts, playing a central role in the employability agenda and ensuring senior managers and academics know all about you Knowing and understanding what’s going on – stakeholder expectations, workforce trends etc Changing expectations of government, higher education institution managers, employers, students, graduates, parents & taxpayers Restructuring & refocusing of HE careers services with an emphasis on impact measurement Keeping an international focus, not fortress UK

12. Challenges for AGCAS Ensuring AGCSAS remains responsive and relevant to members needs within budget Continuing to manage finances & staff to generate new income in hard economic climate Establishing priorities for next decade Ensuring AGCAS retains its value for its members across all its national constituencies and diverse sectoral groupings Keeping an international perspective when the governments’ focus is on little Britain and narrow national boundaries

13. Challenges for AGCAS Helping members prepare students and graduates to cope with a very uncertain future Supporting Heads of Service in increasingly difficult management and leadership roles Helping develop new language for “careers” Enabling members to engage and be active Strengthening links with employers and en- couraging employer engagement with all HEIs Becoming indispensible as the USP of HE careers services while expanding and widening AGCAS membership

14. AGCAS - the way forward Help AGCAS services align with their institutions’ missions and strategic objectives, to meet new demands and adopt new ways of working Keep responding to the identified needs of its diverse membership in efficient and effective ways Retain its clear identity and voice while conducting activities that allow members to improve their individual and service performance Continue to develop and deliver tailored services & products for HE careers practitioners and managers and ensure its internal policies and practice are OK

15. What makes a profession? Initial training & qualifications for practice CPD and career progression within and across sectors, including leadership development Agreed professional standards, principles, values and code of practice and ethics A body of specialist knowledge and expertise Quality standards proving recognisably good service provision responsive to user needs Profile, status, credibility, reputation and recognition by public, government and others A professional body that promotes and represents the above for its members

16. CPA proposals for consultation AGCAS is currently consulting services through their Heads about a series of proposals from the Careers Profession Alliance of which AGCAS is a member along with a other careers bodies These proposals are to join together to possibly become: 1.A new federal Careers Council 2. A new unitary Careers Institute 3. A new federal structure as an interim to a Careers Institute 4. The final option for AGCAS is to retain the status quo but with a new strategic focus NB AGCAS is an association of services not just of individuals

17. Federal Organisation - Pros Membership of a federal body would allow AGCAS & its members to be part of the sector while retaining its unique identity & specialist services Collaboration across the careers sector could lead to increased profile, power and influence, allow sharing of knowledge and professional practice across the whole ‘careers’ sector and greater careers progression for practitioners within it A federal approach should allow AGCAS to work in a more joined-up way with other professional bodies A federal body could create greater potential for alignment with government “careers” agendas

18. Federal Organisation - Cons Increased costs for services & institutions Any drive towards greater uniformity across all careers sectors could damage or diminish the unique specialised nature of HE careers work It remains unclear how a federal body might represent HE careers services as effectively as a specialised body focussed only on this HE careers services must be aligned with and driven by the distinct mission, strategy and objectives of their universities This could potentially damage our relationship with AGCAS partners

19. Unitary Organisation - Cons There don’t seem to be any advantages for AGCAS members Possible risk that AGCAS could be either disbanded or marginalised and its tailored services and products for its members lost HE careers services need to be aligned with and driven by the distinct mission, strategy and objectives of their universities and senior managers would be very unlikely to support such a move or be willing to pay such subscriptions This could potentially damage our relationship with our partners e.g. GP, Warwick University, AGR and others There would be a strong risk of damaging our relationships with employers and our international HE colleagues and contacts

20. So where do we go from here? Results of consultation will go to the AGCAS Board in early October Board will shortly be consulting Heads on their priorities for AGCAS Members are encouraged to discuss issues within their services AGCAS Board has a duty to protect the interests of its members, services and staff and it needs to reflect this in its response to CPA AGCAS has to look to new partnerships and alliances in future AGCAS has continued to change and adapt throughout its existence and if Paul Redmond is right, the contacts, communication, networking, professionalism, quality and shared voice may turn out to be the unique selling point of HE careers services in the future.

21. Conclusion Questions? Thank you!