Empowering Our Youth Part II – Careers Leadership In Aotearoa New Zealand Secondary Schools – A Nationwide View

Following the successful launch of our research report Empowering Our Youth in August 2023, and the high levels of interest in its findings from careers advisors and transitions leaders in schools, professional bodies, employers, government agencies and other NGOs, we decided that, to supplement the South Auckland-focused research, a nationwide view was needed.

A significant finding from the original report was the positive impact senior leaders in secondary schools have towards successful career transitions of their students. With this in mind, in May 2024, Dr Lynette Reid, Evaluator & Education Researcher at EPIT, distributed an online survey to all Aotearoa New Zealand secondary school and kura principals, their leadership teams, and careers advisors and transitions leaders in schools. We sought their answers to a series of questions and posed three school scenarios.

An added incentive for the current research project, was the publication of the National Careers System Strategy | Tertiary Education Commission (tec.govt.nz) in 2023 by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). Both documents established leadership as a critical function towards a strengthened careers system, with collaborative, visible and accountable leadership.

The aim for our EPIT research was to continue to gain a detailed understanding of the career education and transitions pathway landscape and the impact of careers leadership, in Aotearoa New Zealand’s secondary schools.

Evidence from participants and literature related to this research has highlighted the following:

1. Making sense of career education and guidance in schools for non-careers staff and leadership is fundamental to successful careers engagement. Senior leadership in schools have a significant role to play in advancing dialogue about career education and guidance for the sense-making process.
2. Curriculum models for career education should support equitable access for all students to career education and guidance. How might curriculum models achieve this? Alternatively, what other models exist for career education and guidance in secondary schools?
3. Leading career education and guidance in secondary schools is critical. What does leading leadership in career education and guidance mean, and look like?

ABOUT EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP & INNOVATION TRUST (EPIT)

EPIT is a charitable trust set up to address inequity in education through transformational, collaborative partnerships. To achieve this vision, the trust has two areas of focus - Foundational Skills (literacy, digital, mental health and wellbeing) and Transitions (pre-school to school and school to further study or career pathways). It supports initiatives in education that have the potential to positively impact large numbers of young New Zealanders.

ABOUT DR LYNETTE REID
Dr Lynette Reid, Ngāti Konohi, a career education researcher, has over 20 years’ experience in the NZ careers field. A published author, Lynette’s research includes areas such as employability, work integrated/related learning, professional / career / cultural identity, and career transitions.

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