ABSTRACT
The current momentum to assess quality and standards in careers work in schools reflects a number of key influences. It is a feature of the wider move in education to improve outcomes for students. The Technical and Vocational Education Initiative Extension (TVEIE) devised measures of the impact of enhanced funding for careers education and guidance (CEG) on student outcomes. Other Employment Department initiatives, carrying funding for schools and Careers Services, have shown the same concern for ‘value for money’ indicators, with the emphasis on ‘outcomes’ rather than on ‘processes’. In recent years, these initiatives have substantially increased the resources available for careers work, including the Careers Library initiative, the year 9 and 10 careers guidance initiative, the Competitiveness White Paper initiatives and (from the Department for Education) the Grant for Education Support and Training (GEST) to promote careers teacher training. Government departments are aware of the need to satisfy the scrutiny of the Treasury, auditors, ministers and other forms of public accountability for this additional resourcing.
