LATEST REPORT LAUNCHED: TRANSFORMING CAREERS SUPPORT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Today the Northern Ireland Economy Minister, Gordon Lyons has announced the new startegy for Careers in Northern Ireland.

In mid-November 2021, Minister Lyons, announced an independent external review into the delivery of career guidance. In Northern ireland the Department for Economy (DfE) currently provides an all-age careers information, advice, and guidance service designed to help individuals make choices and about their career paths. DMH Associates, led by Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, undertook research from mid-November 2021 – early March 2022 examining the current all-age DfE career guidance offer situated within a wider careers ecosystem that operates across Northern Ireland and further afield.

The aim of the research was to make recommendations to improve the targeting, timeliness, effectiveness, and efficiency of all-age career guidance in Northern Ireland.

This report is the culmination of a process designed to capture the views, experiences, and ideas of differing stakeholders within and outside the DfE’s Careers Service. Between mid-November 2021 – mid-February 2022, over 4,117 individuals contributed to the research. Additional desk research was carried out to review, identify and recommend international exemplars of best practice career guidance and delivery models which the DfE and Careers Service could draw upon. The research also conducted a financial analysis and review of the DfE’s Careers Service including high level comparisons with the services of Wales and Scotland to support refelections on Northern Ireland’s approach to career guidance.

The report and its 15 recommendations have been accepted by Minister Lyons and the Department for Economy’s Head of Careers, Frances O’Hara. The 3 documents : the executive summary, the report into international exemplars of best proactice and full report may be viewed here :