Disadvantaged pupils missing out on ‘assumed knowledge’

More careers advice is needed to ensure all young people have access to the widest possible range of opportunities, according to new research.

The Social Market Foundation (SMF), on behalf of the charity Speakers for Schools, undertook a detailed study of the forms of knowledge that boost education and employment success. They found that access to ‘assumed knowledge’ - that is, the things that some might assume everyone instinctively knows about ‘how the system works’ - is found to be skewed heavily towards young people from more affluent families, and those with parents that have been to university themselves.  

Through interviews with 150 young people aged 20-29, the SMF categorised assumed knowledge into six areas (education system, career planning, job applications, work culture, high culture, and confidence). In the next stage of the report, a survey was conducted of around 1000 young people aged 15-21. The level of awareness was gauged and responses broken down by socio-economic factors to explore gaps.

They found gaps in knowledge to inform study choices, such as nearly half (48 per cent) of young people being unaware that graduates typically earn more than non-graduates. Young people eligible for free school meals are less likely to know this.  There were also gaps in knowledge of career planning – a third of young people from the least advantaged backgrounds did not receive careers advice from family or friends, compared to just 5 per cent of those who have a parent/guardian with a post-graduate degree. Meanwhile private school students were 11 percentage points more likely to have spoken to a careers advisor at school.

Young people with connections in prestigious industries such as law, medicine and academia had higher levels of assumed knowledge. However, 31 per cent of young people who attended a state school did not know anyone in those professions.  And 65 per cent of those with university-educated parents felt confident speaking with senior professionals, compared to 49 per cent of those with non-graduate parents. 

The report makes a number of recommendations to address these gaps, especially for those from less affluent backgrounds, including embedding assumed knowledge into the curriculum, for example by using data on average salaries in maths classes. They also suggest two weeks’ worth of work experience for all young people, and a more proactive role for the National Careers Service with ‘career check-ins’ starting once young people have left compulsory education, and then at four-year intervals. Other recommendations include adding careers provision to the key criteria on which schools are graded in Ofsted inspections.

Dani Payne, Senior Researcher at the SMF, said: ‘Disadvantaged young people are navigating the education system and trying to transition into employment with far lower levels of knowledge and support than their affluent peers. Despite decades of work to close attainment and outcomes gaps for those from less privileged backgrounds, these disparities remain and in some cases are widening.’

Nick Brook, CEO of Speakers for Schools, said: ‘Today’s report shines a light on the problem but also spotlights the way forward. This problem is fixable, if we ensure that all young people are exposed to rich experiences of the world of work whilst at school, to demystify careers and provide valuable insights.  Young people without access to networks outside of school for advice and guidance need to be able to access this in school, through improved careers advice, mentoring and support. Currently these services are underfunded and overstretched.’ 

A Department for Education spokesperson commented: ‘For too long, quality careers advice has been out of reach for most children, holding them back from success and exacerbating inequality. We’re determined to change this, which is why we will offer two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, better careers advice at school, and bring in a new Youth Guarantee of access to training, apprenticeships and back-to-work support.’

Full report: https://tinyurl.com/2z5dyd4b