Young people who receive timely and good quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) are more likely to make successful transitions through learning and into employment.
This cannot be achieved without the support of a well planned and executed programme of career education and guidance (CEG).
INSPIRING IAG QUALITY AWARD
Ensuring quality delivery of careers education, information, advice and guidance across Greater Manchester
The national IAG Quality Standards were introduced to ensure that organisations commissioning the local delivery of their careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) services were both impartial and met exacting standards.
The publication of these standards, coupled with the rapid and constantly changing national policy context, prompted the 10 Connexions Services within Greater Manchester to revisit and revise their quality award (ACE - Assessing Connexions Excellence) to reflect this ever changing CEIAG landscape. This led to the subsequent development of the Greater Manchester Inspiring IAG Quality Award.
The Inspiring IAG Quality Award was officially launched in October 2010. Within less than a year, almost 100 organisations within Greater Manchester had successfully achieved some level of achievement within the Award's framework: Bronze Standard, Silver Standard and Gold Award.
The Award is designed to recognise the design and delivery of high quality careers education (where applicable), information, advice and guidance provision within organisations that work with young people including:
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Schools
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Colleges
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Training providers
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Voluntary organisations
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Charitable organisations
Organisations within Bolton that have achieved success with the Inspiring IAG Quality Award to date are:
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Bolton Muslim Girls' School (Gold Award)
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Thornleigh Salesian College (Silver Standard)
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Westhoughton High School (Silver Standard)
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BoltonWISE (Bronze Standard)
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Rivington and Blackrod High School (Bronze Standard)
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Sharples Science College (Bronze Standard)
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Smithills School (Bronze Standard)
From 2013 young people will have to remain in some form of learning until their 17th birthday initially (until their 18th birthday from 2015) - an initiative called the Raising of the Participation Age (RPA). Having a programme of good quality careers education, information, advice and guidance in place has an important role to play in ensuring young people make the right decisions about their future education, employment and training options to avoid potential disengagement, disenchantment and drop-out. In recognition of this, the Department for Education (DfE) encouraged the development and subsequent roll-out of the Inspiring IAG Award by providing initial financial support through its RPA locally led delivery projects.
In less than 12 months, the Inspiring IAG Award has become a well established quality mark within the Greater Manchester sub-region and has attracted interest from organisations further afield.
If you would like to know more about the Inspiring IAG Award and the associated costs contact the Inspiring IAG Project Manager, Jane Wilkinson on 0161 245 4832 or email jane.wilkinson@careers-solutions.co.uk. Organisations in Bolton that are interested in the Inspiring IAG Award can also contact Madeleine Melling on madeleine.melling@bolton.gov.uk.