As a parent you want the best for your children, to ensure that they are happy and eventually carry out a career that they love. With the job market not looking as promising as previous years, your child's future career could be a growing concern.
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Independent research from the Association of Colleges published in 2012 showed that one fifth of the parents questioned felt out of their depth advising their children about careers, and almost a third are only comfortable discussing jobs they are already familiar with.
The research gave a clear indication that teachers are also wary on giving advice to pupils, with 82% questioned saying they lack sufficient knowledge to advise pupils effectively on careers. So, if teachers struggle to find the right balance of information, where do you begin? Well that's easy!
The Skills Show is the UK's biggest skills and careers event providing you with free advice from training providers and employers from across the UK. Your child can get involved in different areas of work to help them differentiate what they do and don't enjoy in the work sector.
What's more apprenticeship opportunities and live vacancies are available at the event. Both of you and your child can also get up close and personal with employers and seek advice on anything from how to get their foot in the door to salaries.
Ross Maloney, Chief Executive of The Skills Show, provides the following advice to help you advise your child on their career path:
1) What does your child actually want to do? Get them to sit down and really think about it- their own ideas on a future career path may differ from your own, but it is important to remember that a happy working will always be more satisfied than one who is pigeon holed into a career they do not want.Ross Maloney, Chief Executive of The Skills Show, provides the following advice to help you advise your child on their career path:
2) We all know that work can be rewarding, fulfilling and sometimes even fun- but it is work! Children need to realise that, without it, the basics of life may be harder to come by (a home, a car, pocket money!)
3) Encourage your child to research the career paths of people in the public eye that they admire, to see if they have taken an unexpected route to success. Theo Paphitis, for example, started his career as an apprentice and worked his way to the top.
4) Encourage your child to talk to you about your career and that path you have taken. They could also talk with the rest of the family, friends and neighbours, and with their teachers- knowledge is power!
5) Investigate whether it is possible to arrange some work experience for your child with a colleague or friend in an area that interests them- having a go will give them a real taster.
6) What is your child really passionate about? They are far more likely to succeed in these subjects, and the jobs and careers associated with them, than those that they feel they "must" study or which you insist on.
7) Visit The Skills Show- Free to attend, provides a wealth of knowledge about the world of work, from the Have a Go areas, Spotlight talks from industry insiders and famous faces. Careers advisor's from the National Careers service will also be on hand. BAE systems to Jaguar Land Rover, the armed forces and other household names will be able to provide information about the career paths they offer.
Theo Paphitis, the show's Patron, says of the careers event: "As a parent myself, I know how hard it can be to provide the right advice and guidance for children as they reach the point of choosing their careers. The Skills Show provides a unique shop window for visitors to see the opportunities that vocational training and skills can offer, and the chance to actually 'Have a Go' at a wide range of skills will inspire and inform the choices that young people make about their futures.
He added: "From my experiences from last year's event, i know how energising it can be to discover something you are really good at and would recommend it to anyone who is considering what their next step might be- it's a fun day out as well."