The Career Services Collaborative
The Career Services Collaborative is the mechanism to lead the change, innovation and improvement required to deliver the operating model now and in the future.
It is jointly led by service providers and service users.
Why do we need the Career Services Collaborative?
Launched in 2020, Scotland’s Career Strategy outlined the Scottish Government’s commitment to establishing a “leadership pan-sectoral body, focused on strengthening and improving all-age CIAG provision across Scotland”.
This intent was endorsed by the findings of the Career Review, specifically recommendation 10 which stated: “A coalition should be established that ensures the implementation of the review's recommendations and the coherence of career services across Scotland, where young people, practitioners, employers and stakeholders are represented.”
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Building Better Futures
The Career Services Collaborative hosted an online event in November 2024, to mark the start of Scottish Careers Week. Building Better Futures – Collaborating to Advance Career Services in Scotland was an opportunity for key stakeholders in the careers ecosystem to come together with industry and employers to consider how we can collectively advance Scotland’s career services.
Attendees had the opportunity to hear from subject matter experts, learn from each other and take inspiration to create new collaboration opportunities for action.
Sessions are available to watch:
Session 1 – Introductions and Local Collaboratives
Session 2 – Breaking Down Barriers and Opening Access
Session 3 – Building a Common Evidence Base
Session 4 – A Conversation with Employers
Session 5 – The View of Career Service Users
The purpose of the Career Services Collaborative
The fundamental purpose of the collaborative is to ensure career services are designed and available to all through actively addressing disadvantage based on a shared understanding of the reasons for persistent and pervasive inequality
It will do this by ensuring strong and integrated co-leadership for the change, improvement and innovation that is required to deliver the Career Services Operating Model.
It will deliver career services available to all, ensuring:
- Services are shaped by the people they’re for with service users, including those with lived experience of equality factors, driving enhancements that lead to improved outcomes.
- Data, evidence and insight are used to enhance services, delivering value for money through shared accountability and improve the integrated experience of the individual through and across services within the ecosystem
- Policies are more joined up by providing a mechanism for the Scottish Government and other policy makers to consult and engage with career services
- There is meaningful engagement with stakeholders and communities, including employers, unions and practitioners
What are its functions?
The Career Review Collaborative will have three core functions:
- User co-leadership: providing career intelligence, ensuring sustainable impact, and co-design of services
- Change management: delivery of the implementation plan, leading and managing change, influencing and delivering policy
- Service enhancement: future proofing, identification and adoption of best practice
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Who will be involved in the collaborative?
In developing the concept of a Career Services Collaborative, the Programme Board has been mindful of consistent evidence around clutter and complexity within the ecosystem. There is no intention to add to this complexity by creating another entity or ‘body’.
The Career Services Collaborative is a movement through which those with an interest, direct or indirect, can work together to deliver the services envisaged in the vision, principles and recommendations of the Career Review.
It has been designed to build on and complement existing infrastructure and governance arrangements.
Participation is not exclusive. Any service provider or organisation who contributes to or is willing to support career decision making and that wishes to engage collectively will be welcome and able to do so. Leadership in the collaborative will be shared with those entitled to services, and industry.
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Career Review
Over recent months we have worked with partners across Scotland on the most comprehensive review of Scotland’s career services in a generation.
Career ReviewOperating Model
The operating model is a high-level overview of how services should be organised to deliver on the career review recommendations.
A new operating model for Career Services in Scotland