New research shows school leaders at various levels have an important part to play.

Empowering Our Youth is a two-part report series commissioned by the Education Partnership and Innovation Trust (EPIT).

“It is critical we ensure all our rangatahi have access to viable career opportunities for their, and Aotearoa New Zealand’s, future long-term success,” executive director at EPIT, Jane Treadwell-Hoye said in a statement.

“If we are to have an education system fit for purpose for the 21st century, that delivers equitable outcomes for learners, and where all learners have the opportunity to thrive, then we cannot support the continuation of models in a system that allows students to leave with low or no qualifications or nowhere to go.

“It is simply not good enough and a sad indictment on our education system.”  

Dr Lynette Reid, a career education researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in the field, authored the reports.

“One of our most significant findings, which is in line with other careers research in this space, is the enormous influence and impact senior leaders in schools have on the role of career education and guidance in schools,” she says.

Reid says school staff across New Zealand lead careers education in a variety of ways, in both formal and informal roles.

“But I think it’s essential now that it’s the whole school that understand about career education and guidance, and that careers leadership and the school leadership have more of a sense of connection, rather than careers being on the periphery or almost like an add-on.”

Reid says there is often some misunderstanding around how careers education has shifted over the years, and this was evident in her research.

“So it’s not all a focus on giving people brochures about what courses are available, directing people to websites and that kind of thing,” she says.

“It’s much more about getting to know the students, getting to know the family, getting to know the communities.

“[Survey] participants were very hot on this, that there’s a very outdated perception and assumption made about what the role involves.

Reid would like to see schools develop a strategic vision for careers education and guidance, and aligning this with the school’s vision.

And, she says, a number of people should be involved in the process.

“Principals are at the very top of this list, and they were mentioned over and over again by participants in the survey.”

“Senior leaders in general, heads of departments, the board of trustees ... they were all groups that were specifically mentioned about needing to be involved in that space of careers leadership in secondary schools,” she adds.

Principals she says, should play the role of sense maker, making sense of everyone’s role in supporting students, developing their plan and achieving their career goals and aspirations.

“The role is not just for the careers person, it’s a whole of school approach.”

This involves pausing to think about teacher identity versus the career educator identity.

“I think there are two bodies of knowledge that we’re working with here, but there’s assumptions that there’s only one body of knowledge there,” the researcher says.

When careers education is neglected in schools, Reid says it’s the students who miss out.

“Students miss out on understanding the nature of work and understanding themselves in relation to work.

“They’re unaware of what is possible, what possibilities and opportunities they have.”

Another concerning consequence, she says, is that careers education becomes something which is only accessible to certain groups within the school, such as the highly academic students.