CES - Centre for Educational Sociology

Deirdre Hughes

Consultant
Email: deirdre.hughes3@btinternet.com
Tel: +44 (0)131 651 6238
Fax: +44 (0)131 651 6239

Biographical details

Deirdre has been associated with CES since 2010 working closely with Cathy Howieson and Sheila Semple to research the use of technology in the context of careers policy, research and practice. In July 2011, Deirdre was appointed as Commissioner at the UK Commission for Employment & Skills. She is currently Immediate Past President and Fellow of the Institute of Career Guidance (ICG), Europe’s largest careers professional association. She is also a member of the UK Careers Sector Strategic Group; the Careers Profession Taskforce in England; and the UK Careers Profession Alliance which brings together six careers professional associations to speak with one voice to government, employers and the wider profession.

Deirdre is Founding Director of the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), University of Derby (1998-2008) and a Fellow at the Institute for Employment Research (IER), Warwick University (1998-present). In 2008, she established ‘DMH Associates’ which provides training, research and consultancy services to a wide range of key stakeholders.

She has strong international links with leading academics and expert consultants across the globe and is Lead Consultant to the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN) on quality assurance and evidence-base and an active contributor to the work of the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDP).

Main areas of work

Deirdre specialises in the evidence-base and impact of careers work. The majority of her research and development activities span the four home nations of the UK and Europe. Her research includes reviews of careers policy systems in the UK (and further afield); investigations into ICT and career practice; social mobility, gender and equality; young people not in education and employment (NEET); sector skills and labour market trends and the marketisation of careers provision. She is an external examiner at Ulster University, the West of Scotland University and Limerick University, Ireland.

Current and recent research

2011: Integrating new technologies into careers practice: Extending the knowledge base. London: UK Commission for Employment and Skills

2011: Building online communities of practice for teachers and careers professionals. London: TSL Group

2011: Raising children’s aspirations: inter-generational social mobility. The b-live Foundation and Cabinet Office, London

2011-2012: Quality Assurance, Impact and Evidence. European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network

2010: Social Mobility and Careers Service Provision in England. London: Careers England

2010: A formal review of Careers Service Provision in Wales. The Welsh Assembly Government

2010: An audit of targeted publications available through Connexions West of England website. Connexions West of England

2010: A review of Provision: Where Next? Connexions LeicesterShire

2009-2012: MATURE: ICT and Knowledge Maturation project. EU Framework Seven Programme/Warwick Institute for Employment Research

2008-2010: Building Dynamic Guidance Services for Young People and Adults: connecting policy, research and practice. CfBT South, West and North East Regions, England

2008-2009: A Review of Adult Guidance Provision to inform the design of community and online careers service. Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) Northern Ireland

2005-2006: Performance Indicators and Benchmarks in Career Guidance in the United Kingdom. CEDFOP, Greece

2002-2008: What constitutes effective guidance? – a five year longitudinal study investigating the role of guidance in the process of career development and progression. Department for Education & Skills and the Institute for Employment Research, Warwick University

Selected papers and publications

2011

Hughes, D, (In Press) A New Era for Careers: choices and consequences. Smith Institute Monograph, London.

Hughes, D. (2011) Building the Evidence-base for Careers Work: In search of the Holy Grail? in Professionalisation of Career Guidance in Europe: Training, Guidance Research, Service Organisation and Mobility. Dgvt Verlag, Tübingen ISBN 978-3-87159-712-1, 48 Euro.

Bimrose J., Brown, A., Barnes, S.A & Hughes, D. (In Press) The Role of Career Adaptability and Skills Supply. London: UK Commission for Employment and Skills

Bimrose, J., Hughes, D. & Barnes, S.A (2011) Integrating new technologies into careers practice: Extending the knowledge base. London: UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

2010

Hughes, D. (2010) Social Mobility and Careers Service Provision in England. London: Careers England Research Report.

Edwards, H., Hughes, D., & Saunders, D. (2010) A Review of Careers Service Provision in Wales, Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government. Cardiff: The Welsh Assembly.

2009

Hughes, D. (2009) Evidence and Impact: careers and guidance related intervention: On-line Professional Resource CfBT Education Trust, Reading.

Hughes, D. (2009) UK Country Report: Career Development and Public Policy. Commissioned by DBIS, LSC, DWP, DELNI, Welsh Assembly Government, and Future Skills Scotland. Fifth International Symposium on Career Development and Public Policy, Wellington, New Zealand, November 2009.

Hughes, D. & Gration, G. (2009) A literature review of careers and guidance related interventions, CfBT Education Trust, Reading

Hughes, D. & Gration, G. (2009) Evidence and Impact: careers and guidance related interventions. A Sythnesis Paper, CfBT Education Trust, Reading.

2008

Hughes, D. (2008) The New Adult Advancement Careers Service: What’s in a name? Institute of Career Guidance Occasional Paper. Stourbridge: Institute of Career Guidance, England

Hughes, D., Davies, D., Bright, G. and Dyke, S. (2008). NEET SPEAKS: Influences Shaping Young People’s Choices of Education, Training and Employment, South Yorkshire Learning & Skills Council, Sheffield.

2007

Hughes, D. (2007). Maximising the Value of Career Development for Sustainable Growth and Social Equality: England Country Paper. Commissioned by the Department for Innovation and Skills (DIUS), Sheffield: Moorfoot, pp.1-11.

Hughes, D. and Morgan, S. (2007). Choices in the 21st Century: Career Support and Guidance. In: Myers, K., Adler, S., Leonard, D. & Taylor, H. (eds) Genderwatch. Stoke on Trent: Trentham Books, pp.93-97.

2006

Hughes, D. (2006). Fact or fiction? Transforming careers evidence into action, In Reid, H. & Bimrose, J. (eds). Career Guidance: Constructing the Future. Stourbridge: Institute of Career Guidance, pp.117-1128.

Hughes, D. (2006a). UK Country Report for Finnish Presidency Conference (November 2006). Update on Progress in Implementing the May 2004 Council Resolution on Guidance Throughout Life. Commissioned by the Department for Employment and Skills, Sheffield: Moorfoot, pp.1-19.

Hughes, D. (2006b). Why evaluate guidance? Via Veiledning, 6. Ministry for Education, Denmark, pp.1-6.

Hughes, D. (2006c). Shaping the Future: Connecting Career Development and Workforce
Development: UK Country Paper, Third International Symposium on Career Development and
Public Policy, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia, pp.1-12.

Hughes, D. (2006d). The future of educational and career guidance: where next? The Julie Hamill Memorial Lecture 2006, Malone House, Belfast, pp.1-16.

Hughes, D., Bimrose, J., Brown, A., & Karjalainen, M. (2006). Putting research at the centre of design, development and operation of higher education careers services: A comparative study from the UK and Finland Higher Education. In: Vuorinen, R., & Saukkonen, S. (eds) Guidance Services in Higher Education: strategies, design and implementation. Institute for Educational Research. University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, pp.125-146.

Hughes, D. & Higginbotham, S. (2006). The future of professional career guidance: where next? CeGS Occasional Paper. Derby: Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby, pp.1-10.

Bimrose, J., Hughes, D., & Collin, A (2006) A critical review of quality assurance mechanisms for Information, Advice and Guidance, Commissioned by the University for Industry (UfI) Sheffield: learndirect. pp.1-48.

2005

Hughes, D. (2005). Career guidance issues: A practical approach. Paper presented at Euro-guidance Malta Annual Conference. Valetta, Malta. December 2005, pp.1-11.

Hughes, D. (2005a). A Market in Career? Evidence and Issues – Summary Consultation Report. Sheffield: Department for Education & Skills, pp.1-3.

Hughes, D. (2005b). Connexions: Developing Options and Opportunities. CeGS Occasional Paper. Derby: Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby, pp.1-15.

Hughes, D (2005c). Peer Review: Supporting lifelong learning through the development of guidance services in Latvia. European Commission – DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, pp. 129-136.

Hughes, D. (2005d). Personal perspectives on ‘Youth Matters’ - Industry experts give their opinions on the Youth Green Paper. Career Guidance Today, 13 (3), pp.12-15.

2004

Hughes, D. (2004a). Investing in Career: Prosperity for citizens, windfalls for Government. Winchester: The Guidance Council, pp.1-24.

Hughes, D. (2004b). Creating evidence: Building the case for career development. The Career Counsellor Journal, Issue No.16, p.2 and p.7.

Hughes, D (2004c). Making the case, strong evidence versus “hearsay”. In: Reid, H. & Bimrose, J. eds. Career Guidance: Constructing the Future. Stourbridge: Institute of Career Guidance, pp. 85-99.

2003

Hughes, D. (2003b). National Skills Strategy: 14-19 Education: Formal Evidence, House of Commons Education and Select Committee: Parliament, London: December 2003, pp.1-5. Written evidence 118.