Institute of Career GuidanceAnnual Conference 2012

Everyday Heroes: Using Role Models to Inspire Career Success

for Ethnic Minorities

8 November 2012

Frances Mensah Williams & Cathy Bereznicki

So What’s the Problem?

• Lack of personal role models

• Tough Times with record unemployment

• More than one in four of all black 16-24 year olds currently out of work

• Cuts in support programmes

• Lack of ethnic minority role models

Changing Mindsets with Role Models

• Visible representations of success

• Creating a greater normalcy/acceptance of BME professionals

• Role models key to social mobility

Press Officer

Actuary

Challenges for Careers Advisors

• Limits to time and resources

• Differences in cultures/background

• Empathy/perception of identification with BME issues

• Motivating and supporting BME students

• Identifying tools to encourage ownership of choices and research

• Accessing credible BME role models

A Flexible Model - Everyday Role Models

• Structure: 16 Interviews/7 Questions

• Projects• Careers exercises

and projects to stimulate thinking and provoke curiosity

A Tool for Careers Advisors

• Provides information, choice and ownership

• Flexible and able to adapted to other ethnicities/backgrounds

• Can be tailored to fit prevailing career norms

• Empowers the student/young person • Encourages networking and proactive

research and identifying mentors

Benefits for Careers Advisors?

• Provoke curiosity about careers• Encourage self-assessment and analysis of

strengths• De-mystify myths about aspiration and

achievement• Empower young people to research and learn

more for themselves• Encourage/nurture skills needed today –

networking/mentoring with identifiable role models

Role Models

Composer Doctor

Asset Manager

Headhunter Architect PR/Marketing Director

Key Messages

Group Activity

Groups (5 per group) to discuss questions:

• How can you implement this?

• What would be the challenges?

• Ideas on how else young people can construct their network and create resources for themselves and others?

Action?

• What we hope you took from this

• What actions will you take from this?

www.everyday-heroes.co.uk