Free go to careers resource for parents and carers launched
A new website has been launched to support parents and carers’ conversations about careers with their children.
Launched by Enterprising Cumbria, the Careers Conversations website has been co-designed with parents and carers for parents and carers to support their child through a pivotal time in their life.
Choosing a career path can be challenging, and the available options aren’t always clear. The resource offers comprehensive information and practical activities to make it easier to start those conversations about careers.
It is widely accepted and evidenced that parents are one of the biggest influences on young people’s education and career decision-making. Parents are playing a key role in the career guidance of their children, and it is therefore vital that they engage with school or college careers programmes.
It can be particularly difficult for parents to understand the full breadth of modern qualification routes and careers, feel confident in broaching the topic of the future with their children, and know how schools and colleges can help.
The Covid-19 pandemic has also strengthened the case for increasing support to parents, with a third of parents feeling more negative about their child’s next step in light of the events of 2020.
Good impartial careers guidance doesn’t just happen in school or college – it also needs positive, constructive conversations between parents and carers and young people and employers and young people.
Careers guidance is key to social mobility. It provides young people – whatever their background – with the skills and information they need to make good decisions about their future education and work options. But it can’t be delivered in isolation. The most significant influence on young people comes from their family and social network.
For school and college career programmes to succeed, parents and carers need to be engaged and involved. However, parents and carers often rely on their own experiences from when they left school or college to inform discussions. This means they may only have a partial/limited understanding of the options available to young people today.
Cath Dutton, Strategic Careers Lead, Enterprising Cumbria, said:
“There’s a lot of pressure on our families at the moment and helping our young people secure successful futures can be daunting, especially when there is so much information on the internet for parents and carers. Our platform is a one stop shop to help parents and carers support their child through their careers journey in school for example choosing options at year 9, finding work experience and choosing next steps after Year 11 and 13. Cumbria has so many opportunities for young people and using this platform will help them understand the essential skills employers are looking for and discover the wealth of careers available to them.”
Laura, parent of teenagers in Barrow, said:
“As a parent, helping my child navigate the world of career choices can be overwhelming. But this new platform is a real game-changer. It’s packed with clear, reliable information and practical tools that make understanding career options in Cumbria so much easier. I now feel way more confident having conversations with my child about their future. The resources are simple to use, and we can explore them together whenever questions come up, so they always feel supported.”