Cloudy1′s Blog
Just another WordPress.com weblogConstructivism and guidance – 28 March 2009
A point made in this weeks lecture made me think and this was that career advisers are aware of the changes taking place in our society and the majority have integrated this into their interviews or group work, however, the rules and regulations still being placed on these same advisers from organisations and ultimately the Government are stifling their progress. So why, if there are so many articles being published about this topic have no changes taken place? Well, ultimately it comes down to the fact that unemployment is at its highest for some time and by hook or by crook the Government will reduce these figures!
The current progression is towards increasing the school leaver age to 18, in England, and for SDS to provide every school leaver in Scotland with a “positive outcome“ both aimed at reducing the number of young people on benefit and on the unemployment numbers. But this can mean that young people are forced to stay in school when the environment clearly does not suit them, which will probably increase the levels of truancy, or it could mean we place young people into college courses which are deemed as “dead end” courses which will just be delaying their addition to the job centre line (as discussed in the Roberts article in CDT).
This view of seeing young people as a group instead of each individual person seems to be a very cost effective way of dealing with the problem but is it effective in any other way what so ever? This is where advisers need to be allowed to bring their own unique ways of ascertaining what a young person can and wants to achieve and to support them to travel their own road to success ( a success in their sense of the word).
Using the technique of storytelling appeals as it can allow the client to verbalise ideas and thoughts they may never have allowed themselves to, due to a sense of duty to their family or community. The idea of drawing your own life space and the influences, achievements and failings in a way that you can understand and feel comfortable with is a great way of enabling all people.
The strange thing was that I have used this format in my previous job and yet never thought to use it in a career guidance interview as I had compartmentalised it as something to be used in that specific environment. When I used it at work, everyone got involved, it seemed to be an exercise that was non threatening and could bring laughter to the exercise which in turn built the relationship between the manager and member of staff. Granted the fact it was held with someones manager may have restricted all that the individual wanted to discuss but this didn’t stop some people continuing the exercise in the security of their own home.
The only issue I personally had with it was the fact that you also include a picture of your life space in 3 or 5 years. I find it diffiuclt to think in 5 year spans and as a consequence didn’t feel as comfortable drawing the second life space. I’m sure I’m not the only person who would feel this so it may be an obstacle to overcome for both myself and future clients.
I will be keen to see how I can put this into practice, maybe the first thing would be to introduce it to your fellow advisers first and from there it may grow out into the client environment?
Yes I liked the self characterisation too, felt very safe with it and opened up interesting lines of thought and getting to know yourself a bit deeper.
Perhaps the statutory career guidance service is so dominated by targets that it neglects individual aspirations and as long as young people are in a “positive outcome” that’s enough….