Software and e-learning tools became critical to ensuring continuity of learning when there was uncertainty over in-person delivery. This much is true of both core curriculum and careers education programmes at schools across the country.

While remote lessons will never quite compare to the experience of face-to-face classroom learning, technology does have a clear role to play in facilitating more meaningful teaching and learning moments.

It’s through leveraging technology that it becomes possible to offer individual students learning experiences that are tailored to their specific needs, interests and skills. Not to mention, the wealth of data insights that can be used to thoughtfully inform a school’s careers strategy or identify students that are disengaged and may need extra attention.

Technology delivers personalised learning at scale

Personalised learning is a challenge across the core curriculum, and it’s no less important to the provision of high-quality careers guidance. With the landscape of careers shifting rapidly, a one-size-fits-all approach to preparing young people for their futures is insufficient. Thankfully, in 2013, research into good career guidance by Sir John Holman, detailed in the Good Career Guidance report, set out the eight Gatsby Benchmarks. Personal guidance is number eight on the list.

Technology has a central role to play in career guidance and future readiness provision because students today are digital natives, and we are experiencing the 4th industrial revolution, or what the World Economic Forum describes as “the fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres”.

To adequately prepare students for the future, careers professionals are actively embracing education technology that offers a personalised experience for each student, based on their work in the product. Students learn about what makes them unique through quizzes, assessments, and interactive lessons. Then they explore career and post-secondary profiles to build plans to work towards reaching their future goals.

In this way, careers professionals benefit from deeper insights into the skills and interests of their students, while also maintaining the role of strategic leader of their programme. They sequence the activities that students undertake; they analyse results and data to inform ways to further engage students. Technology is the foundation on which they build a highly successful and relevant future-readiness programme.

Technology reduces administrative tasks

Technology, because of its scalable nature, offers a clear route to efficiencies in administrative tasks.

Picture a careers leader organising one-to-one guidance sessions with all Year 9 students. In the past, that professional would have sheets of notes on individuals, paper questionnaires to analyse, and a wall planner with guidance times written down. Spotting trends in students’ interests, giving full attention to meaningful dialogue, reporting on impact – all this would be a tall order in addition to every other task on the list.

Technology, because of its scalable nature, offers a clear route to efficiencies in administrative tasks

This is not the case with careers and future readiness technology. Reporting is at-a-glance and covers engagement and progress within the programme, while also providing the careers leader with deeper insights into who their students really are and what makes them tick.

Technology teaches 21st century skills

Focus should be given to the development of transferable skills across the curriculum. Helping students develop a strong sense of self leads them to become comfortable with the skills needed to overcome transitions they will face now and in later life.

Technology and careers that manage, design and leverage technology require a digital savvy skillset. So, once again, leaning on education technology as part of careers education is one way to ensure students are more prepared for the future world of work.

Want to learn more from expert education industry panellists about how to prepare today’s young people for tomorrow? You’re in luck – join Cadcaid’s webinar on Thursday 4 November 2021 at 11am GMT to learn more from front-line educators and workforce experts.

Sign up here: https://edtechnology.co.uk/live-panel/upcoming/are-your-students-future-ready/