The recently relaunched Careers Hub, created by CIMSPA, provides clear and accurate sector-specific careers guidance for students and educators
The new Careers Hub for the sport and physical activity sector is revolutionary. With information catering to young people, experienced professionals, employers and education providers, the platform provides a wealth of up-to-date knowledge about jobs, training and progression in the sport and physical activity sector. But why is this important for colleges, and why now?
Natasha Eason, Associate Director for Education and Careers at CIMSPA, explains how the new resource can support educators with their careers offering and why this is the critical moment to seize the opportunity.
“As the number of young people not in employment education or training nears 1 million (987,000 people), which is over 13% of all 16-to-24-year-olds, alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear, not only in terms of the immediate impact, but for what it means to the future of these young people and their communities.
The number of individuals who are ‘NEET’ includes unemployed and economically inactive young people who are not in education or training, but who’s responsibility is it to:
stem the tide and prevent future cohorts of young people failing to find a positive direction and destination?
reverse the trend and get more young people into meaningful, sustainable education, employment or training,
Schools and colleges undoubtedly play a key role in shaping the futures of young people. However, as highlighted by Ofsted’s recent report, they are unable to effectively tackle these challenges alone.
Ofsted findings
In the report, Ofsted challenged colleges to significantly improve the quality of careers advice, especially for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are twice as likely to be NEET than those from more well-off families.
The report also highlighted that improvements are needed to careers education, information, advice and guidance in schools, finding that most college students cannot recall receiving meaningful careers guidance during their time at school, and that they often chose further education courses based on the convenience of getting to the college, or what their friends were doing, rather than because of informed, planned career aspirations.
So what are some of the key issues that are impacting young people in relation to careers guidance?
In its report, Ofsted criticises schools and colleges for the lack of specific guidance, with many providing only basic, generic careers advice instead of tailoring the information on offer to the needs of individual students.
The Ofsted report also found further holes in provision:
- Most students interviewed as part of the research said they could not remember careers advice that they received at school. This meant that many started college without clear ideas about their courses or career options, increasing the pressure on the college to provide guidance.
- Colleges have difficulties in identifying students needing extra support due to limited information sharing during the transition from schools.
- There are limited qualified careers advisers, which means that colleges rely on staff who may not have specific qualifications.
While the Ofsted report makes some very valid recommendations around work that schools and colleges can do independently to improve the offering, it’s important for industry bodies and employers to take an active role in supporting careers information and inspiration for young people.
Support for schools and colleges
As the world of work continues to evolve rapidly, the gap between education and employment becomes even more challenging for young people to navigate, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Because of their close links with employers, industry professional bodies are uniquely placed to offer real-world insights into the skills, qualifications and attributes that are most valued in the workplace. By engaging directly with schools and colleges, sector professional bodies can demystify careers and progression pathways and help young people make more informed decisions about their futures and how to get there.
Professional bodies can also help young people to understand the breadth of opportunities available, including roles that may not be well-known or traditionally promoted through careers education. Hearing from professionals working in different sectors, particularly those from diverse backgrounds, can be especially powerful in challenging stereotypes and broadening horizons. This kind of engagement not only raises aspirations but also gives young people the confidence to pursue routes that align with their interests and strengths.
By inspiring and informing young people early on, industries can help to address skills shortages and ensure a pipeline of talent aligned with real job opportunities. By collaborating with guidance professionals and educators to shape more relevant and engaging careers resources and programmes, sector bodies benefit both young people and the schools and colleges that are supporting them.
Sport and physical activity careers
The sport and physical activity sector presents a great opportunity for young people seeking sustainable and rewarding careers. The sector is not only vital to the UK economy, with over £39 billion in annual contributions and supporting around 600,000 jobs, it also offers a wide variety of career paths and significant personal and professional benefits.
Underpinning the sector’s approach is the fact that there is a lack of knowledge in young people and the public more widely, of the opportunities that exist in the sector.
The sector’s growth is driven by an increased national focus on public health and wellbeing, with every £1 spent on sport and physical activity generating nearly £4 in return through health, community and economic benefits.
With a multitude of careers that extend well beyond the well-recognised jobs such as coaching and fitness instruction to roles in community inclusion management, health condition recovery and prevention, customer service, marketing, IT and facilities management, opportunities are wide ranging.
Careers in the sport and physical activity sector allow young people to inspire others, build healthier communities and directly contribute to reducing healthcare costs, economic inactivity and social issues by promoting active, positive lifestyles.
With many young people now prioritising meaning and fulfilment in their career choices, it’s essential that those showcasing opportunities to them are able to fully explain the attractive options available in the sport and physical activity sector.
The Careers Hub
This is why, as the sector’s professional body, CIMSPA has taken the lead on creating careers support and resources to enable more young people to discover the great career destinations on offer.
The new sector Careers Hub provides a comprehensive resource for young people as they explore their career options, with real-life stories, clear and realistic descriptions of job roles and signposting to the highest quality learning options that will support employability because they are created to align to the sectors professional standards.
The dedicated website also offers a range of dedicated careers guidance resources for schools, colleges and training providers to equip those working in education with the most up-to-date knowledge and labour market information on careers in sport and physical activity.
With this additional support, it will be easier for educators and careers professionals to understand the diverse options available to students in this little-understood sector. The accurate and clear information empowers those guiding young people through their choices to inspire them to explore practical long-term careers that suit their interests along with future learning opportunities that will allow them to continue to grow.
Final thoughts
With unemployment on the rise and young NEET people forming a hefty portion of these figures, it’s essential that we all work together to improve the experience and opportunities young people are able to access.
Through launching the Careers Hub, CIMSPA is providing more high-quality and sector-specific information about sport and physical activity careers than ever before, but it’s important that influential adults are guiding young people to this incredible resource.
By directly addressing educators and careers specialists in part of the hub, we are supporting those who play a crucial role in showing young people the opportunities available to better showcase our sector and the many fulfilling jobs and quality-assured learning opportunities within it.
So, have a look. Share some inspiration with a young person. Set them on a track to be supported in an incredibly rewarding career in sport and physical activity.”
The Careers Hub
Powered by CIMSPA
Our new careers hub is a one-stop shop for sport and physical activity careers and the first of its kind for the sector. It offers a wide range of resources for anyone interested in pursuing or developing their career in sport and physical activity, as well as for sector employers, educators and parents.
