What has digital technology done for us and how can we evolve as a sector to make best use of what it has to offer?

The need for career development practitioners to develop digital skills is a subject which has been revisited many times. This article draws on research undertaken in the UK in 2019 to establish the barriers and enablers in the use of technology to delivery career guidance and the training needs of the career development workforce to make the most of what digital technology has to offer. The research found that career development practitioners were using digital technology and applications both in their practice with clients and in the way they manage their business. This has prepared them to respond to the challenges in delivering career development services that the COVID-19 pandemic presented.

Supporting career development in organisations: Drivers, practices and challenges

This article describes the evolution of career development in UK employing organisations over the period 2000-2020. It looks at the characteristics of career development in organisations; the business drivers for supporting the career development of employees; some of the ideas that have influenced how employers think about career development; and key career development practices. The article also explores the challenges that constrain effective career development for employees. In addition to published material, the article includes some case examples of current practice, drawing on semi-structured interviews with NICEC Fellows, specialists in organisational careers work and HR professionals.

Career development and older people

This article explores career development support offered to, and used by, older people since 2000. The context includes changes in age discrimination legislation and state pension entitlement, which intertwine in their effect on labour market participation. Career development services have changed, with a marked divergence between the fragmented delivery in England and the all-age services elsewhere in the UK. Initiatives have been piloted, judged successful, but not robustly pursued. The article argues that rhetoric outruns resources and delivery, and contemplates the additional complication of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on older people and the economy.

The (faltering) renaissance of theory in higher education careers practice

This article charts the changes in career development theory and practice within UK higher education over the past two (and a bit) decades. We outline some of the social, economic and political drivers that have influenced both theory and practice over this time and examine the extent to which theory and practice have influenced each other - revealing a paucity of dialogue between theory and practice at a strategic service delivery level. We end with some suggestions for bringing these two strands closer and a call for further evaluation of the potential for theory to inform practice and vice versa.

Access and partnership: How schools in England responded to changes in career guidance services in the first two decades of the 21st century

Over the past 20 years career guidance services for young people in England have undergone two major changes: from privatised careers companies to Connexions, followed by the dismantling of the national service. This article examines how schools responded to these changes. It argues that, while schools have been given more responsibility for making sure pupils have access to career guidance, the range of provision has become wider, in terms of type of provider, level of support and quality. The article concludes with an analysis of the impact on the partnership between schools and providers of career guidance services, and poses questions about the lack of support for young people not in school.

Career development and coaching: Straddling two worlds and bringing them together

This article distinguishes between the areas of professional practice of 'coaching' and 'career guidance', reviewing recent change and noting the emergence of 'career coaching' as a crossover activity. We argue for further integration of coaching and careers work under this label and note some of the benefits for coaches who are working on career development issues to share a theoretical understanding of career development. We flag some attendant risks of not integrating further and note that a learning focus is a potential shared understanding that could be used as a basis for this ongoing integration.

The development of career guidance roles and their professionalism: 1999-2020

Between 1999-2020, career practitioner roles in England have rapidly morphed. Entry routes, and qualification frameworks have changed too. But one significant factor features consistently: the lack of a legal requirement for an accredited qualification to practise. In the face of major political and structural changes to the profession this article explores how guidance and its practitioners have sought to re-define and re-claim their sense of professionalism.