During the period Alison’s work has included:

• Successfully completing a matrix standard assessment of a West Cumbrian training organisation
• Undertaking matrix standard advice work with a County Durham community organisation
• Undertaking matrix standard advice work with a community organisation in Newcastle upon Tyne
• And completing a number of matrix standard annual ‘Continuous Improvement Checks’

During the summer amongst Paul’s work to promote quality CEG, he’s been involved with:

• Assisting North Yorkshire County Council & the LEP for NY/City of York/East Riding to promote CEIAG Quality Awards to local schools, culminating in 19 schools receiving funding to work towards one of the nationally validate CEIAG QAs (actually the 19 schools were given a choice of QA provider and chose 5 of the Awards – fascinating to see this choice in action)
• Assisting the Outwood Academy chain (largest in the North of England covering Scunthorpe to Wakefield to Middlesbrough) – as the chain chose its preferred supplier of a CEIAG QA provider – to roll out the Award to its schools
• Chairing the 11th National Validation Panel for the Quality in Careers Standard as the Staffordshire Entrust CEIAG+ Quality Award secured national validation
• Speaking at the 2015 Annual Conference for the Investor in Careers CEIAG QA in London when they brought together many of their licence holders.
• Working with Westminster Briefing and Careers England to plan the 2015 CEG Summit (5.11.2015) in London at which three schools holding different CEIAG QAs are speaking as positive case studies and where QiCS certificates will be presented to the 3 QA providers nationally validated this year (Cambridgeshire ‘Investing in Quality’, Sheffield Gold Standard, and the Entrust CEIAG+ awards)

It was in September 2014 that Paul was invited to offer his views on whether there ever was a Golden Age for careers guidance by writing a personal guest blog on Professor Tristram Hooley’s Adventures in career development blog (24th September 2014).

That blog remains pertinent as we move into the 5 year Parliamentary term of office for the Conservative Government elected in May 2015. Whilst Paul is delighted that the revised Statutory Guidance to Schools from DfE recommends that schools should achieve a CEIAG Quality Award (nationally validated by the Quality in Careers Standard), there is no cause for complacency as evidence across England remains that access in schools to professional quality assured CEIAG is ‘patchy’ and inconsistent.

http://adventuresincareerdevelopment.wordpress.com/2014/09/24/was-there-ever-a-golden-age-for-careers-education-and-guidance/

Paul was delighted to chair this event in London for delegates from FECs and SFCs. In addition to chairing the invited speakers (including from SFA, and FE), Paul also introduced delegates to the added value of undertaking a CEIAG Quality Award – providing links to SFCs and FECs already accredited (for details of case studies see www.qualityincareers.org.uk accessing the case studies page).

With the Quality in Careers Standard firmly embedded now as part of the national CEAIG fabric, the Quality in Careers Consortium Board resignated Paul’s original role of Project Leader for the Standard to be “Director of the Quality in Careers Standard”.

Paul’s regular work with the Quality in Careers Standard during the first part of 2015 has included:

• updating the case studies/adding new case studies to the sections of the Careers England website Paul continues to maintain covering Careers Guidance in Schools & Colleges and the Quality in Careers Standard http://www.careersengland.org.uk/careersguidance.php?page=casestudies
• meeting an MP who serves on the House of Commons Education Select Committee about QiCS
• meeting with a potential provider of modules to support ‘careers education’ for pupils in Primary Schools, especially those approaching transition to Secondary School – leading to links with three CEIAG Quality Award providers being set up.
• leading a workshop for all of England’s 12 CEIAG Quality Award providers on the revision to the national validation criteria for QiCS, held at the University of Derby. This included an excellent input by Professor Tristram Hooley on the Sutton Trust research on the impact of CEIAG Quality Awards on school performance. Details are shown here: http://www.careersengland.org.uk/quality.php?page=QiCS_press_notices

Paul has also chaired two National Validation Panels (for Cambridgeshire’s and for Sheffield’s CEIAG Quality Awards) – both awards successfully gaining the Quality in Careers Standard national validation.

And he has also worked with colleagues to migrate the QiCS pages from the Careers England website to the newly-established dedicated website for all Quality in Careers matters: www.qualityincareers.org.uk

Alison has undertaken two more on-site assessments recently; one with a Community Interest Company on Tyneside (10/11.2.15) and another with a work-based training provider in Ryedale, North Yorkshire (3.3.15).

Alison’s latest matrix Standard assessment is of a long-established community association in Leeds.

Paul steps down from the Executive Director of CE role on 11/9 after some 10 years in the role (no such post existed in CE’s initial year).

He has now posted the 11 year history on the CE website www.careersengland.org.uk and prepared the set of papers for his final CE board on 11.9.14.

In her capacity as a registered practitioner, Alison was delighted to provide advice to a Teesside ‘branch’ of a national charity providing training oppor

After winning her class in the heats in Middlesbrough for the northern region, Alison went to Hartpury College in Gloucestershire to compete in the RDA national championships. Despite torrential rain waterlogging most of the outdoor arenas, her Countryside Challenge took place and (for a novice we are proud of her) she came 11th out of 38 in her class. Excellent to see Alison on Angus (the bay horse in these two pictures) enjoying herself so much.