The research was commissioned by Ayrshire Careers partnership to follow a group of school students over a three year period as they moved out of compulsory education and into post compulsory education and training and employment.

The research aimed to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing young people’s career ideas over a critical period; to explore their experiences of career education and guidance provided by school and the Careers Service; and identify how such provision might be further developed. A specific aim was to examine the role played by ‘significant others’: those individuals young people identified as being as important to their thinking and decisions.

Four contacts with the young people over a three year period; two contacts with their ‘significant other’.

36 young people in S4 and S5 of secondary school (Yrs 11 and 12). 37 adults identified as ‘significant others’.

Literature review; in depth interviews (including the completion of tasks and exercises); review of school and Careers Service documentation; analysis of Careers Service records.

The report distinguishes between ‘formal’ guidance sources (eg schools and the Careers Service) and the ‘informal’ network of the extended family, friends and colleagues. The report highlighted a number of issues in respect of the content and delivery of career education by schools. It concluded that the Careers Service should give more emphasis to the career guidance vs career information; to extend its focus beyond young people’s initial transition; and to make greater links with other parts of the formal network and with the informal network.

The study suggests three categories of influence from the informal network: planned explicit interventions; implicit assumptions; and unplanned influence. Issues identified include: the limitations of the informal network; the differing levels of informal support available to young people and the negative consequences of a weak informal network.

Published and working papers from this project are posted on this site as they become available.