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Customised Careers Advice a Solution Long Time Coming
Customised Careers Advice a Solution Long Time Coming - But any Changes Must Involve Students
The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations applauds the moves of the Labour Party to acknowledge the need for good careers advice.
“We’ve heard multiple stories of students who given poor or no careers advice when at secondary school and the negative impact that this has on people as they attempt to move through the tertiary system.”
“Expectations for many in the secondary system is skewed towards going to university but we know only 30% of high school leavers follow that path. We need to start focusing on the other 70% and stop treating polytechnics and industry training as poorer cousins.”
"Currently the only people giving advice are those who went to university themselves, and without a proper professional development system around them they're naturally struggling, or those giving advice are recruiters with the bias that entails."
NZUSA also believes that the careers advice system needs to be professionalised and that advice needs to start early.
“Careers advice shouldn’t start at year 13. We should be targeting students early in secondary school to ensure they have planned the right educational pathway, and one that keeps their options open.”
NZUSA has called for the Education and Science select committee to undertake an inquiry into careers advice and transitions. This is something that we expect the Labour party to commit to, to ensure they hear the voices from everyone in the sector including those at the heart, students.
“We expect any political party to work from a base of evidence to ensure that the best transformative student outcomes are achieved.”
“Careers advice has been broken for a number of years and it predates this government. It is an issue that has no reason to be politicised and we expect all parties to commit to getting the best start for young people and those looking to change vocations.”
“We look forward to working with the Labour Party and any other party who want to develop this concept further and take part in the inquiry we believe is urgently needed.”
“We have also made it very clear in recent meetings with Ministers Joyce, Parata and Kaye as well as in an earlier meeting with Select Committee Chair and Deputy Chair Dr Jian Yang and Todd Muller that reshaping the careers advice system is something that we want to be involved in, to ensure that it is working in a way that gives students the best outcomes.”
ENDS
NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations
We stand for opportunity, for all.
NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations, the national body that represents New Zealand's students' associations and the interests of New Zealand's 400,000 students at universities, polytechnics and in trades training.
We conduct original research, advocate to Government and through the media, and support New Zealand's students' associations to be more effective on behalf of their members. We advocate alongside Te Mana Akonga – The National Māori Students' Association, and Tertiary Women New Zealand – The NZUSA Women's Caucus.
Since 1929, we've believed in a society rich in opportunity, where anyone from anywhere can become any thing. We support accessible, affordable quality public tertiary education.
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