Politics
What the election result means for CEIAG
Tuesday 13th June 2017
Ok, so the election was last week, but are we any clearer where the country will be in a month? 3 months? A year? I'm not certain we do.
Looking back at my April 18th blog about what the snap general election would do for careers, I was concerned about 3 things:
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- The frequently promised and long awaited updated statutory duty
- What will happen with the industrial strategy
- Grammar schools
What has changed since before the election?
Well, not a lot really, I don't think we're clearer on any of those topics. Though if the Conservatives do manage to cling on to power, I had thought that the statutory duty may well be brought out shortly as it will undoubtedly be non contentious. I'm pretty sure they will continue with the industrial strategy but I think grammar schools may well be shelved.
The big surprise
Robert Halfon, the minister for skills has been given the boot. No reason was given according to social media though of course political pundits are happy to theorise. He announced his departure on Twitter and generated a good number of RT's and positive comments about his efficacy as a minister. I had the pleasure of meeting Robert
So who will the new Skills Minister be?
Anne Milton and Robert Goodwill have been appointed as new ministers at the Department for Education in the ongoing reshuffle. Milton is the MP for Guildford and a former health minister, while Goodwill, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, has previously been a transport minister and immigration minister. At the time of writing, nothing further has been announced. I will add a postscript when the announcement is made. Postscript The new minister has been named as Anne Milton, MP for Guildford by FEWeek
So what do we do in the meantime?
I was at a conference yesterday put on by The Career Development Institute and The Education & Employers Taskforce. Speaking was Brian Lightman who echoed something that Karen Adriaanse (The former Ofsted Inspector in charge of careers) said some time ago and I paraphrase here but believe I've kept the gist of the quote
"Careers Education is far too important to wait for the Government to tell you what to do. We have examples of what 'good' CEIAG looks like - get on and do what is right for your students."
Austerity is Over
So the Times says today... does that mean the school budget cuts are not going through? Again, time will tell. That being said, it doesn't mean that Head Teachers will suddenly rush over to you in the staffroom and hand you a mega budget. So we need to start plotting to get the best result we can in our own schools. Be your school champion for Careers. Get on and convince them to do right by your students.
