ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the centrality of careers education and guidance within Technical and Vocational Education Initiative's (TVEI) broader brief and explores the impact of work experience. The development of close links with the ‘world of work’ was an integral part of the broader TVEI project. TVEI pupils were acutely aware of the adult ‘world of work’ during their final two years of compulsory schooling. Individual schools also ran similar events, such as St Catherine’s ‘World of Work’ days for boys and girls. Under TVEI funding, work experience was organised by each individual school, although the Local Education Authorities Careers Service was responsible for ensuring the quality of placements and provided training for work experience coordinators in each of the participating schools. Work experience had the potential to produce a strong ‘deterrent effect’ amongst some pupils, as they found that the reality of the job to which they aspired differed considerably from their expectations.
