GCCA | Graduate Careers Council of Australia

Graduate Careers Australia

ergo - Number 95 June 2004

Career Guidance and Public Policy – Review

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an international body pursuing high sustainable economic growth and standards of living in its member countries, as well as multilateral, non-discriminatory expansion in world trade. The organisation’s activities reach into most areas of public and commercial activity, not the least of these career guidance policies, and a new review into these areas begun in 2001 has now been published under the title “Career Guidance and Public Policy: Bridging the Gap”.

The OECD review looked at how various aspects of career guidance relate to public policy (in particular lifelong learning and the labour market) and covered a range of settings including secondary and tertiary education. The stakeholders consulted included employers, community organisations, educational institutions, students, government and career practitioners, and statistics and opinions on a range of topics were gathered. The report looks at the relationship between career guidance and public policy, as well as how career guidance can be better resourced and delivered more effectively.

At over 170 pages in length, “Career Guidance and Public Policy: Bridging the Gap” investigates in detail how to meet the needs of young people and adults, staffing and funding career guidance and building policy frameworks for the future. Broadly, it concludes that developing career self-management skills and a greater diversity of services are two fundamental requirements which are currently given less than adequate attention, and that better quality assurance mechanisms (linked to funding) and strategic leadership should also be priorities.

An overview of “Career Guidance and Public Policy: Bridging the Gap” can be downloaded from the OECD website - www.oecd.org ; the report is available now (ISBN – 92-64-10564-6)