Collaborative Approaches to 14-19 Provision - Communities and ...

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEARclarity about the division of responsibility and work between schools careers staff andConnexions advisers. In year two this issue was much less prominent and in manypathfinders the good collaborative arrangements which involved Connexions at strategiclevels had become more widespread at school levels. It appeared that, over time, agreedworking practices between Connexions staff and individual schools were being developedand there was greater understanding of the respective roles. Several pathfinders, for example,Durham and Norfolk, were working with dedicated Connexions advisors.190. This is not to say that all problems concerning the role of Connexions had beenresolved. Several Connexions partnerships were undergoing restructuring, suffering fromfinancial difficulties or renegotiating contracts and this impacted upon the extent to whichthey were able to articulate their work with that of the pathfinders. The widely recognisedtension between the universal and targeted roles of Connexions was also still apparent. Asone coordinator put it:There are still significant challenges associated with the tension between theConnexions ‘universal service’ and the ability to ensure or monitor its delivery on theground.There was however, evidence that this tension was both better understood and bettermanaged.191. A significant feature of activity in the second year of pathfinder was the production ofa considerable amount of advice and guidance material. This took many forms. Some wasweb-based e.g. Plymouth, Sheffield. Other pathfinders had produced materials on DVD, CD-ROM or video e.g. Southampton, Wakefield. Some were using commercially availablesoftware – the Fast Tomato web-based material which can be customised to reflect locallabour patterns was being used in several pathfinders. Some pathfinders had focused uponproducing guidance materials relating to specific occupational pathways e.g. Southwark,Islington. Several pathfinders were also moving towards a common post-16, UCAS-typeapplication procedure which would include strong web-based elements. In addition to theproduction of materials many pathfinders had put on a range of advice and guidance events tohelp students to make choices within the 14-19 phase.64