CAREERS SERVICE ‘ISLAND FUTURES’ RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION

The Isle of Wight Council’s careers specialist service has received national recognition for its work.

Island Futures has once again been accredited to the matrix Standard, confirming the high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) services it provides to young people across the Island.

The service works within the majority of the Island’s secondary schools and is available for unemployed young people aged 16 to 19 to access through community based centres across the Island.

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The assessment, which was carried out earlier this month, takes place every 3 years and involves interviews with young people who use the service, staff and partner organisations.

In their final report, the matrix Standard assessor highlighted what the service was doing right, including:

• Information, advice and guidance is highly professional, well considered, planned and organised
• The service is delivered by qualified, skilled and experienced staff committed to providing the best service possible
• Significant investment in resources to support young people
• The service has responded well to the increasing complexity of needs, particularly in the wake of the pandemic

Congratulating the team on their achievement, Councillor Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for children’s services, said:

“I’m thrilled that Island Futures has once again achieved this standard.

“This serves to assure young people, parents/carers, schools/colleges, and employers that the careers advice offered by us is impartial, independent, of the highest quality and relevant to supporting young people to make positive choices for their future learning and employment.

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“I’d like to congratulate the staff on their achievement and really encourage anyone requiring any support with choosing a career, training route or life goals to get in touch with the service.”

Phillip Walker, county education manager, skills and participation, said:

“We are extremely proud of this achievement because it is testament to the hard work of all involved in developing and providing our high quality IAG services.

“It also recognises our commitment to continuous quality improvement and to working closely with learners, employers, partners, and staff while supporting them to identify and achieve their goals.”