Aims
The Careers & Enterprise Company set out to create a tool to measure learners’ learning outcomes from Gatsby Benchmark career programmes based on the perceptions of learners themselves. Our goal was to achieve the following:
- A short, accessible questionnaire that tracks the progress of learners throughout secondary education
- Coverage of key aspects of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are important for successful transitions and careers
- Simple data insight that supports targeted intervention, evaluation of career programmes and identifies the impact of careers education.
Development process
Consultation
Careers Leaders and sector experts shared ideas on the potential value of learner perception data, the topics and questions for inclusion, tailoring to transition points, implementation issues and data output.
Question design
With support from question design experts, detailed consideration was given to question wording, response options, questionnaire length and scoring to produce versions for testing.
Pilot
The revised FSQ versions were tested with 3,500 young people from Year 7 to Year 13 and structured feedback was gathered from 20 careers leaders.
Cognitive testing
Structured interviews with 40 young people across four age groups and including SEND explored engagement and interpretation, and tested adapted versions of questions when needed.
Revised FSQ
The results from the pilot and cognitive testing were used to adapt the questions and develop resources for implementing the questionnaire.
Integration with Compass+
The Future Skills Questionnaire is designed for use within Compass+ to allow Careers Leaders to view the results alongside MIS, destinations and careers activity information. This includes the functionality to select learners and send out questionnaires, as well as colourful and engaging digital questionnaires for learners.
Report : Future Skills Questionnaire: The development of a tool to measure young people’s career-related learning and skills
Feedback
If you have any feedback on the Future Skills Questionnaire, please contact research@careersandenterprise.co.uk