GCCA | Graduate Careers Council of Australia

Graduate Careers Australia

ergo - Number 93 December 2003

Fit For the Future: the AGCAS Biennial Conference 2003, Edinburgh

Judi Green, careers adviser at Swinburne University of Technology, reports from the 2003 AGCAS Conference in the United Kingdom.

An Overview of the Conference
In 2003, the UK’s Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) conference ran from 2-5 September at Edinburgh University. Nearly 600 delegates attended the conference, with keynote speakers Dr Cubie, who addressed the issues of student funding, wider access and employability, and Mr Williams from the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), who put the work of the Careers Services into the wider context of developments within the HE Sector and government policy.

There were 72 workshops offered over three days which were geared around current and potential challenges to careers services in Higher Education, and some of the ways in which they could be met. Amongst these were employability, meeting the needs of increasing numbers of students with out ‘diluting’ our professionalism, diversity and wider partnership working. Four Australian careers advisers attended the conference, namely Judi Green from Swinburne University, Di Rachinger from the University of Melbourne, David Essex from Deakin University and Martin Smith from the University of Wollongong. All four Australian delegates delivered a workshop or presentation.

What is the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS)?
AGCAS is the UK version of our National Association of Gradate Careers Advisory Services (NAGCAS). As the names indicate there are many similarities between the two groups in terms of their aims, mission and services; AGCAS is the UK professional association of careers practitioners in higher education. The most obvious difference between the two is size, AGCAS having approximately 1400 members whereas NAGCAS has approximately 140. AGCAS has an annual turnover of £500k, employees, a highly active membership and a strong profile. The range of resources it provides its members is remarkable.

Introducing International Delegates
Before the bulk of the conference got underway, a session was held for international delegates, which gave an overview on how Higher Education Careers Services operate in some different countries as well as some of the issues they are facing. Countries represented in this analysis were the UK, Australia Poland and Italy.

HE Careers Services and Diversity
A new publication entitled “HE Careers Services and Diversity” was also launched at the conference. This publication addresses a vital topic – how to enhance the employability of graduates from non-traditional backgrounds. Recent research has identified that students from these backgrounds (mature students, those from lower-socio-economic backgrounds, first generation undergraduates, students from ethnic minorities and students with disabilities) are less likely to use their careers service. The student’s background can also affect the jobs they obtain post-graduation.

Employability
Although there does not seem to be an agreed definition of employability, the importance of this concept is highlighted in a number of key economic drivers factors in the UK, including:

• The Dearing Report – a recent UK government report that promoted education and training for global competitiveness
• The Harris Review of Higher Education Careers Services that promoted embedding careers in the academic curriculum as well as the broader students experience
• The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) internal audits – a mechanism analysing how each university measures up to the benchmarks for employability and whether procedures to address this are integrated into the curriculum
• QAA Code of Practice for Careers Education, Information and Guidance (CEIG) – this was designed to see if universities “are meeting students’ expectations in respect of their preparedness for their future careers and that they are producing graduates equipped to meet the demands of the employment market”
• Progress Files – By 2005/6 all students in higher education are to have access to a “Progress File”. Part of this includes a means by which students can “monitor, build and reflect upon their personal development.”
• League Tables – these lists of Graduate Destination Survey-type information are published in newspapers.

Matrix
Careers Services in the UK are required to gain accreditation from an accreditation board through a process known as Matrix. The accreditation process aims to ensure all universities provide a quality standard for information advice and guidance services. It is a quality inspection system – a type of “ISO9000” for careers services in Higher Education.

Issues facing UK Careers Services
Careers Services in the UK seem to be facing a number of issues similar to those faced in Australia, including the impact of an NESB on employment, the inclusion of careers in the curriculum, how to best service postgraduate students, the various pressures such as work requirements which keep students off-campus and the question of involving academics in the careers process.

Conclusion
The 2003 AGCAS conference was an exciting way to learn about best practice from a range of extremely professional careers experts and their partners. It was reassuring to note that while most Australian careers services do not have the same staffing levels as our UK counterparts, we do provide a comparable range of services and we can feel quite proud of what we are achieving. The conference was also a great way to meet new careers advisers and make new contacts.