MyDirections and parents and carers
According to research, parents and carers are the single biggest influence on young people's career choices. You can help them by talking about their ideas and using MyDirections to find out about the options they have, so they choose the route that best suits their skills, interests and their future plans.
MyDirections provides information about all the routes young people can take, including apprenticeships, employment, further education, higher education and self-employment. Young people can also use MyDirections to explore different sectors of the labour market, finding out about the skills employers need and the types of jobs that are predicted to be in demand in the future.
In order to ensure young people are making informed career decisions, they should be encouraged to find out about careers they may not have thought of - or even heard of - related to their skills and interests. MyDirections matches their favourite subjects and other preferences to different careers and courses - allowing young people to explore new ideas.
Information about key decision points
To help parents and carers support young people using MyDirections, we have produced the handouts below, which provide an overview of the options young people have and the choices they have to make.
We have also produced additional information in an article for parents/carers of young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Accessing MyDirections
Parents, carers and young people interested in using MyDirections, should check with their school or college to find out if they have a subscription to use it. Young people at institutions that do subscribe, will receive their own unique username and password to access and use MyDirections - which they can do at school or college and at home.
Schools and colleges interested in subscribing to MyDirections can contact mydirections@ckcareers.org.uk to request a demo and more information about costs.