21 May 2024 2:00pm to 4:30pm In this online event, we will reflect on the legacy of NICEC International Fellow, Professor Ronald Sultana who died on Friday 24th November 2023. We will explore the contribution that he made to career guidance theory, policy and practice in the 20th and early 21st century and examine how his interest in practice around the Mediterranean, across Europe and in the Global South expanded theorisation of career guidance beyond its traditional home in the Global, and often Anglo-American, North. He consistently argued for the importance of embedding career guidance in ..read more

I have been very pleased to collaborate on a new article with my colleagues Rie Thomsen and Manwel Debono on a new article exploring the legacy of Ronald Sultana. The article is called A legacy of solidaric critique and hope for a better world: A meditation on the scholarly contribution of Ronald Sultana and appears in the latest issue of the NICEC journal. In the article, we reflect on Ronald’s legacy. We argue that he was a major figure in the development of career guidance theory and practice of the late 20th and early 21st century. The article begins by reflecting on and su ..read more

Study and career counsellors at Lund University explore social justice In August 2023, Elin Holgersson (study and career counsellor at Lund University, Sweden) took part in the Career Guidance and Social Justice summer course organised by the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. During the course, she was part of a group that created a resource which could inform other practitioners about how career guidance can contribute to social justice. In this post she shares the results of implementing the resource at her workplace. Elin Holgersson As a career guidance practitioner, my journey ..read more

I’ve just been involved in a new OECD paper entitled Challenging social inequality through career guidance: Insights from international data and practice. In it we look at the evidence that suggests that class, gender and ethnic and migrant status inequality structures peoples’ careers and examine how career guidance can be used to challenge these kinds of inqualities. This report focuses on school-level career guidance systems and examines how they can more effectively respond to social inequalities. It draws on new analysis of PISA and PIAAC data and builds on the OECD Career Readiness ..read more

Henrietta Cameron (Training & Engagement Coordinator, Equate Scotland) reflects on the value of the concept of resilience in a blog first posted on Equate Scotland. Henrietta Cameron This month I was asked to run a new workshop on ‘How to be a Woman in STEM’. In lieu of ‘STEM for dummies’ book I went for 3 points to lead the workshop on: Understand the context you are studying and working in. Know your rights and know your worth. Rethink what being resilient means to you Understand the context Knowing that you are a member of a marginalised group and hearing stats and facts behind the i ..read more

Peter Robertson (Professor at Edinburgh Napier University) argues that, with some strategic policy changes, all is not over for the UK economy. What is more, career guidance professionals have an important role to play in this project of economic renewal. Pete Robertson These days, when I hear predictions of the future of work, I get that déjà vu feeling.  I can’t help thinking I have heard it all before.  Breathless enthusiasm for new technology, the importance of STEM, and the need to transform or die, often feature prominently.  This is sometimes served with a side salad of ..read more

Photo from the Crisis Campaign In this post Emma Le Blanc discusses career work with people who are homeless and who face the risk of homelessness. Emma Le Blanc I work as a Good Work Adviser with a Local Authority.  In, my role I assist residents over 18 to access education, training, and employment (ETE).  However, my approach is holistic so when I conduct an initial assessment I ascertain if they have any barriers to ETE (i.e. mental health, housing, substance misuse, domestic violence, care experienced, carer, financial, food poverty, energy poverty etc.) and I refer them to the ..read more

Playing the World of Work game. Photo by TripleDotMakers Korin Grant (Assistant Professor, Career Studies, University of Warwick) describes how she encountered the World of Work game and reflects on its use with careers professionals. She then hands over to the games creator Michelle Brown who explains the process that she used when creating the game, and some of the thinking behind it. The world transformed Korin Grant Back in October I attended The World Transformed, a 4 day festival of left wing political art, activities and learning. I was keen to attend to find out more about universal ba ..read more

In this post John McCarthy (Director of the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy) discusses the history of Palestine and the current situation in the country. In it he remembers the work of Ronald Sultana, who was a lifelong advocate for Palestine. John McCarthy I am sure that Ron would have me start by expressing outrage at massacre, violence, and trauma that happened on 7th October to Israeli citizens, residents, and visitors, and at the hostage taking and continued imprisonment of the remaining hostages, all of these perpetrated by Hamas and other radical organisat ..read more

Photo by Wyatt on Pexels.com In this post Amanda McCue discusses how the five signposts model can be applied to the issue of supporting the careers of military spouses. Amanda is an Australian career development practitioner who specialises in working with Australia’s defence and veteran community. She is a Professional Member of the Career Development Association of Australia, and a member of the National Career Development Association. She is the recipient of a 2017 Churchill Fellowship and of the 2022 Prime Minister’s Veterans’ Employment Award for Outstanding Contribution to Veteran and/or ..read more