Next Steps Replacing Jobs4U?

News from the Careers Information front has emerged that the jobs4u database, which has not been updated since June, has effectively been archived. A Direct.gov site (see http://ow.ly/4srBP) points users instead to the Next Step database.

For non careers-techies who may be wondering about the implications of this, Next Step was originally a careers information system targetted at adult learners developed via Learndirect, whereas jobs4u was the system used by the connexions service and was specifically for young people.

The Next Step articles are perfectly adequate introductions to the careers covered and written in a slightly less formal style than the parallel jobs4u. However, the jobs4u articles contained more sophisticated information and the open question is whether the Next Step article format will be adjusted to cover the same scope.

Dinosaur careers advisers such as myself can also recall that jobs4u was derived from the "Careers Officers' Handbook" (COH) by the former organisation COIC, after it became part of the former Manpower Services Commission. As the title suggests, COH, originally developed by Careers Advisers in the London area for their own use, was the national information handbook used by Careers Advisers everywhere as a basic research resource when working with young people.

The cynics among us might wonder where Careers Advisers will now get their information from. Or maybe all they need to do is refer everyone to careers websites?

The Future of Careers Information

My discovery of Career Player (see today's ealier post) via Twitter has set me thinking a bit.

Although Career Player concentrates on a few main popular careers for graduates - Marketing, Banking, Advertising and Finance - could we be starting to see the introduction of whole careers libraries based on well-produced and informative videos?

There is already a similar product aimed at non-graduates called Careers Box. And, as a writer I'm noticing that Prospects are no longer commissioning many freelance careers updates and reducing the scope of the articles they offer, while jobs4U have currently suspended updates to the careers database for six months.

I wonder if everyone is taking breath before the next generation of careers information - databases of video information heavily sponsored by participating companies?

Is the old-style, publicly funded careers handout, even in its web format, about to die off completely?

jobs4u about to disappear

News has reached my ears that DCSF have decided to cease support for the jobs4u careers information site from 30th June this year.

Could this mean the end for www.connexions-direct.com/jobs4u? If so it will be a blow to young people, connexions advisers and people like myself who use it as a fallback when working with students who are looking at non-graduate occupations.

Can anyone confirm if this news is correct? Or is some other mechanism proposed for jobs4u in future?