Careers Advice and Guidance rap – Share, Learn and Transform

Jon Chase has put together a Careers Advice and Guidance rap around the power of education and evolving careers at a time of risk and uncertainty… @DeirdreTalks shares the event from the DMH First Virtual Careers Conference 

Deirdre Hughes OBE shares with us a new video with lyrics by Jon Chase which highlight the importance of inclusive careers support for young people and adults. ‘Career’ is a complex and contentious term, particularly in a Covid-19 context. Jobs and labour markets are changing rapidly. Staying healthy, livelihoods and being able to pay the bills are priorities for many individuals and families. This will necessitate new skills and mindsets focused on accessing opportunities, career adaptability and resilience. As we approach Christmas and a long-awaited New Year, this lively ‘rap’ reminds us of the power of education and evolving careers at a time of risk and uncertainty.

Thanks Lord Victor for painting a mental picture

And now I’ve got a summary to put into the mixture,

Career guidance or career development 

It’s a superpower, that’s more than relevant,

it brings hope and purpose, and more than this

it’s a force for good, including social justice,

Inequality’s not the same as inequity

Here’s to making a difference to marginalised society,

See, Black Lives Matters, as do other things,

that help promote Mental Health and our Wellbeing

And So day one, where to begin?

in childhood, with career related learning,

they first see jobs in a fantasy stage,

then choices become more realistic with age, 

there’s a world of differences and cultural situations, 

with child labour issues within different nations, 

So let’s nurture kids and broaden horizons, 

To help draw the future that we’ve all got our eyes on,

We have to start early, making learning fun, 

In the primary school, is where it starts for some, 

Build each child as a Superhero as well,

and to help that they need to have role mod-els, 

Because they can’t be what they cannot see

and we need to be building not crushing dreams,

So next up, in the talks delivering,

was all about careers in the curriculum, 

that’s real world learning into education, 

with project based learning and innovation, 

Helping teachers relearn, all across the lands

to educate the Head, and the heart and the hand, 

providing skills for Life, with a drive inspired

by curriculum objectives and careers rewired,

and when learning’s relevant, it’s not surprising,

they get entrepreneurial and enterprising,

So what Lessons can we learn from lockdown,

What Innovations in careers have we got now,

Continuing programs, and getting on just fine by getting virtual and moving things online keeping students engaged while at home’s the plan or how about socially distanced summer camps,  move forward; reimagine not just back to the norm, with more support for the deprived, their lives transformed

Now day 2, AI and the Future of Work

computers are everywhere it’s getting berserk, 

for the most part we need Human intervention

but the future will bring more Artificial intelligence

With chat bots everywhere, and mobile phones, 

laptops, and social media, let’s get in the zone,

Mass redundancy, Rising unemployment,

it’s time to help all, get fit for the Job,

We need Fairness and Access for all abilities,

and Hard to reach groups, that’s the future we want,

Now Apprenticeships, shaping and engaging, 

a Younger generation but integrating, 

inclusions for all groups, in all locations

for Education and training in Vocations

There’s Nationalising programmes, to boost the progress,

and opportunities to Improve career prospects

Knowledge, skills & behaviours will see, 

a boost to the individuals and economy 

So what about Leaderhood and Equality

so we can Celebrate success collectively

we gotta Remove the barriers and redesign

and Reinvent the mind state, not get left behind,

Do the right thing, We create what we see

we want Gender equality and diversity

maybe through Activism, stand up to Challenges

remember, leaders don’t have to be managers

We hear of privilege and Unconscious bias

but sometimes we need a little help to remind us, 

that everybody needs a little help here and there 

so thank you to everybody working in careers