The combination of Federal and State/Territory government leadership in Australia has been exceptional. They went early and hard. The consequence has meant some safer choices for all as the economy reopens.
Challenges remain but there is some breathing space and at present the health system is not overwhelmed or compromised.
At this significant point in the transition, the key focus is on saving businesses and providing a safety net for their workers. It is working and is restoring confidence. Even so, many businesses are already lost and unemployment is rising rapidly. More than 50% of Australians are on JobKeeper, JobSeeker or other support.
It is in this next phase that access to quality career guidance and coaching will become essential. The job market remains uncertain and pathways back to employment are in many instances unchartered. Support to understand and navigate this new labour market is crucial and career coaching will be an essential element in effective navigation of the new normal labour market.
We are all learning while on this corona road but the elements of an effective career system in this next stage of recovery is becoming clearer.
- Career services can only be delivered if they are safe for both users and providers.
- The safest delivery model is digital, online and by phone. Digital guidance is now a core competency for practitioners
- Services should be well communicated so that the public clearly understand what career services are being offered.
- Services need to be pragmatic and target immediate needs of users
- Effective application and resume assistance and interview preparation
- Access to local labour market intelligence and LMI and strategic support to access opportunities
- Widely available to all ages
- Specific support to young people and new graduates entering the labour market. Australia has Job Jumpstart – https://www.jobjumpstart.gov.au/article/covid-19-series-where-are-job-opportunities
- Address mental health issues from a career development perspective
There is clear expectation that more than 50% (and probably closer to 80%) of roles will return to close to normal. Health, justice, education, ICT, engineering, transport are examples that are essential to any economy. The processes will probably change to take into account COVID-19 but reasonable staffing levels will continue to be required. In addition, digitising aspects of many roles will be fast tracked.
More broadly, we are not yet sure about the culture of all aspects of the new normal workplace. Clearly, there will be an increase in the mix of working from home and work for many employees. Social distancing in the workplace will impact on the culture of workplaces. For example, in South Korea there is a move from social distancing to life distancing (ie personal responsibility for maintaining good habits). Already there examples where this concept is compromised by some individuals but personal responsibility is a requirement for returning to a level of freedom.
In any case, providing career support to people transitioning from semi isolated working from home environments to on site or a mix of both will benefit individuals and restoration of economic productivity.
In Australia, the National Careers Institute is considered as part of the broader Dept. of Education, Skills and Employment’s role in working across levels of government to implement various measures to manage the risk of COVID-19 relating to the VET and careers sectors. The NCI’s main priority is to help Australians to access the information they need to make informed decisions, particularly within the context of COVID-19.
The NCI understands that more than ever, a modern, flexible and responsive skills and training system, and careers sector, will be important to a strong economy for all Australians.
The government recently released its consultation summary report for National Careers Institute co-design. The NCI report can be found at https://docs.employment.gov.au/documents/nci-what-we-heard.
Around the world and all about
- The career systems available in many countries will require significant reform to assist job seekers impacted by COVID-19. A good example is My World of Work (Scotland) – https://www.myworldofwork.co.uk/employed . See also Scotland’s career strategy. https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-careers-strategy-moving-forward/pages/2/
- The Welsh Government is promoting Careers Wales to parents and their children –https://twitter.com/wgmin_education/status/1260461272287653888
- In Finland, career practitioners are actively sharing their expertise in working at a distance using their internal communication channels
- Five quite profound post coronavirus trends (Bank of America). https://www.bofaml.com/en-us/content/market-strategies-insights/weekly-market-recap-report.html
- In Estonia, the Unemployment Insurance Fund, a public employment service (PES), provides career guidance services free of charge to everyone, regardless of age or economic activity. COVID-19 has made face-to-face contacts impossible, but different online tools are being used to continue providing support at a time when it is needed most.[1]
- Michael Healy’s five key considerations for delivering careers and employability services online provides useful tips from someone who has done it well- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-key-considerations-delivering-career-services-online-healy/
- Tristram Hooley presentation on career guidance an COVID-19 https://adventuresincareerdevelopment.wordpress.com/2020/04/24/career-guidance-and-covid-19-presentation-to-the-cdi-student-conference/
- Mckinsey & Co – Implications for Business https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/risk/our-insights/covid-19-implications-for-business
- CEDEFOP has recently published a report on lifelong guidance systems and responses during COVID-19 – https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/news-and-press/news/experts-report-impact-coronavirus-crisis-lifelong-guidance-europe
- Working from home will continue – There are many articles on this topic including the Brookings Institute – https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/04/06/telecommuting-will-likely-continue-long-after-the-pandemic/
- In the UK. Organisations like NESTA are thinking about the future without entering the predictions game – see https://www.nesta.org.uk/
- The Canadian Career Development Foundation is advocating that career development is a key contributor to supporting mental health during the pandemic and during the road to recovery. For more information see Strengthening Mental Health Through Effective Career Development: A Practitioner Guide highlighting how career development serves as a preventative/proactive mental health intervention.
Next steps
- Ensure individuals get their basic needs met first (access to benefits, wage subsidies, training opportunities etc). Address the needs of those falling through the cracks such as new migrants, some international students etc.
- Assist individuals on JobKeeper and other wage subsidy initiatives to to review their skills and address gaps in their career management skills to improve their transition to work.
- Ensure career information is accurate, regularly updated and linked to jobs sites such as Jobs Hub in Australia.
- Prepare career services to provide support when individuals are ready (possibly commencing in July/August). Initial focus to be individuals on income support recipients (Job Keeper in Australia) to assist them to effectively transition back into work; and supporting youth to transition into work and/or further training
- Include career services as part of national mental health strategies
- Support clients to be active in seeking out opportunities to contribute in a rapidly changing environment and to participate the change rather than be victims of it.
- Ensure career development practitioners become skilled in online career service provision.
For more Information contact:
Peter Tatham
E: peter@tatham.com.au