Many thanks to Dr Deirdre Hughes for sharing the following update:

Career Profession Alliance: Update for ICG members

Colleagues

I last corresponded with you before Christmas on the Careers Profession Alliance (CPA) activities and our success in securing funds from the Learning & Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) to work on key recommendations emerging from the Careers Profession Taskforce. The ICG Council and Board are very conscious that you need to know how things are going and, most importantly, what are the key developments that will require more serious discussion and debate over the coming months? This item was tabled for discussion at Council and AGM on 18/2/11.

On your behalf, I continue to represent the Institute on the CPA, working closely with Steve Higginbotham (President) and Sarah Finnegan-Dehn (Vice-President), and Trevor Mason (ICG Chair). Trevor and I have recently attended two CPA meetings held on 18th January and 14th February 2011, chaired by Ruth SpellmanOBE. The following points summarise the main outcomes from these meetings:

* Members of the CPA Executive Group (2 representatives from each of the careers professional association in the Alliance) oversee the work of the appointed Programme Leader (Ruth Miller, MillerMorgan Ltd) who is responsible for delivering key outcomes related to seven work streams. Ruth is working with the Professional Association Research Network (PARN) and a small team of consultants which includes John Ambrose, Claire Johnson and Alan Lewis.

* The seven work streams include: developing a new common set of professional standards; producing a single career progression framework; producing a map of current qualifications of each of the careers professional associate membership; producing a plan for a review of Initial Training and CPD; developing an overarching kitemark to ensure the quality of CEIAG; and preparing a draft 3year business plan for the CPA. A critical success factor is that each of the work streams must reflect a UK-wide perspective i.e. this is not an England only programme.

* ICG has set up a temporary holding account for the CPA and, in addition to the funds received from LSIS, each of the careers professional associations have kindly agreed to contribute £250 towards funds for ongoing secretarial and related support. This demonstrates the Alliance’s commitment to ensuring this is a collective and shared responsibility.

* Significant auditing and mapping of the current state of play set against the seven work streams has resulted in a series of draft papers being produced for the CPA Executive Group. This remains work in progress which is due to be completed by 31/3/11 so that full consultation can then take place with the respective careers professional association membership. Please note: you will be fully consulted before any final decisions are made and, in the meantime, feel reassured that I am your elected representative.

* We are now reaching a stage whereby the CPA is exploring options that will help build a stronger UK-wide careers profession (much needed especially in the current climate!) It’s now important to share ‘in principle’ decisions that have been reached so far. ‘In principle’ means this is subject to more detailed consultation after 31/3/11 with all our members.

* In principle, the CPA has stated an intention to work towards achieving ‘Chartered Status’ within the next 3-5 years, subject to members’ approval. This is an item that will be discussed and debated at the ICG Council and Board meetings taking place this week. We will be keen to hear your views on this but, first of all, PARN is gathering intelligence on the steps that would need to be taken and they are assessing how far off we all are from achieving this potential goal. Once we know more about this, I will make this available to you for review and comment.

* In principle, the CPA has stated an intention to achieve greater synergy between and across the associations by having three broad categories of membership, namely, ‘affiliate’; ‘associate’; and ‘registered careers professional’.

* In principle, the CPA has stated that a formal register is required to build a stronger careers profession, in line with the recommendations emerging from the Careers Profession Taskforce in England and key recommendations outlined in the ‘Review of Careers Services in Wales.’ PARN is investigating the full costs associated with developing, maintaining and sustaining a ‘formal register’, drawing on lessons learned from other professional associations. ICG is so far the only careers professional association currently operating a ‘register’ and we have agreed to provide costing information to feed into the process. As you know, our President is leading on a major review of the ICG register and this is a substantive item tabled for discussion and debate at Council, Board and the AGM.

* You may be interested to know that the first wave of mapping overall membership showed that there are approximately 7707 members, which does not include one of the careers professional associations who have yet to submit their figures.

* The Institute is very grateful to Pauline Tait, Jan Ellis, Sarah Garratt, Alan Lewis, Rodney Cox, Tom Evans and Trevor Mason who have each provided invaluable information in very tight timescales to inform Ruth Miller’s work on behalf of the CPA. I will continue to keep you updated on any further developments as they unfold.

* The next meeting of the CPA Executive Group is scheduled on 15th March 2011. Following this meeting, I will be in a better position to come back to allour members to consult and seek your views on the way forward in building a stronger UK-wide careers profession.

* The Careers Profession Taskforce (CPT) in England will reconvene on Friday 18th March 2011 to share overall progress made in relation to each of the recommendations outlined in the earlier CPT report. The CPA will be represented at this meeting by Ruth SpellmanOBE, supported by members of the Taskforce. This will then be followed by a meeting with the Minister John Hayes on Monday 28/3/11.

* I have also made arrangements for the CPA minutes from both meetings to be uploaded onto the ICG website for members to access.

Many thanks!

Deirdre

Dr Deirdre Hughes