Effect of fragmented careers guidance in schools and colleges

Educating students on how to complete job application forms and providing them with the know-how to find relevant work experience can help those who have suffered from fragmented careers guidance prior to university

Key findings

• There is a lack of consistency in Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) students' previous experiences of careers support.
• Many students intend to engage with careers services, despite inconsistent experience prior to university.
• Students reported receiving little information about alternative routes to employment other than higher education.
• Experiencing a limited amount of careers guidance could affect a student's ability to make informed career choices, and that consequently this can increase their likelihood of failing to complete a course of study.
• Other factors such as talking to relatives and teachers could affect their decisions.
• Employment history prior to university could also affect career readiness.
• Some students questioned why they need access to careers services due to the vast amount of online resources available to them.
• Some students who had completed a careers module as part of their further education qualification found it beneficial.
• Male respondents demonstrated a higher level of confidence in their ability to complete some tasks such as writing an effective CV and performing well in an interview.

What's inside

This report provides an analysis of students' previous careers education and guidance to determine whether this has had an effect on their career readiness once they enter higher education.

Recommendations are made to address fragmented past experience of careers advice and guidance and remove any negative perceptions students may have of careers services.

About the report

This report, funded by HECSU, aims to explore how fragmented and inconsistent careers support prior to starting university has affected how prepared students in higher education are for a career. The study focuses on students at LJMU and the research was conducted and reported by Laura Aldridge, careers adviser at LJMU.

Written by

Laura Aldridge

Careers adviser

Liverpool John Moores University