Relevant and specific careers advice for all students at all stages of their educational journey
About the project
This project critically investigated best-practice initiatives in career advice for students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds with the aim of understanding how career provision can be productively expanded beyond the traditional career adviser model.
This important work would not be possible without the support of the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE), which administered this project on behalf of the funding body, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE).
Research teams
Affiliation | Staff |
University of Wollongong |
Kylie Austin Professor Sarah O’Shea (honorary fellow) Dr Olivia Groves Jodi Lamanna Professor Julia Coyle (affiliate) |
University of Canberra |
Laurie Poretti Associate Professor Philip Roberts |
Australian Catholic University |
Nicola Cull |
University of Technology Sydney |
Sonal Singh |
University of Tasmania |
Professor Sue Kilpatrick |
University of New South Wales |
Samantha Skinner |
Purpose
This 18-month study critically investigated best-practice initiatives in career education for primary and secondary students from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds, including those in regional, rural and remote (RRR) areas of Australia.
The main objective of this study was to establish overriding principles to guide career education provided to school students and non-school-leavers across the sector. In doing so, the project sought to understand how young people from low SES backgrounds make decisions about their educational and vocational futures and to consider best practices in career education for these students.
Stages of the project
A mixed methods approach was implemented across four highly collaborative and iterative stages of the project.
Stage one provided the context for the project with a comprehensive literature review and desktop audit of current practice.
Stage two involved qualitative interviews and surveys with current students, parents and stakeholders in the provision of career education.
During stage three, five Career Development Learning (CDL) programs were designed, implemented and evaluated according to best-practice principles to consider the types of programs that might best support students.
Finally, stage four drew together the findings from each of the previous stages to create a set of recommendations and Best-Practice Principles for the education sector.
Documents
Reports
Case studies
Papers
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Austin, K, O’Shea, S, Groves, O & Lamanna, J, 2020, ICED 2020 Proceedings: ETH Learning and Teaching Journal, 2(2), 34-38.
- Groves, O, Austin, K. O’Shea, S, & Lamanna, J. 2021, ‘One student might get one opportunity and then the next student won’t get anything like that’: Inequities in Australian career education and recommendations for a fairer future. The Australian Educational Researcher (online first).
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