BRIEF CV

Jennifer McKenzie (BA, MA(Psych), HDCG) was appointed to the role of Director of the National Centre of Guidance in Education (NCGE), an agency of the Irish Department of Education (DE) in 2010 and re-appointed in 2016. In this role she leads the vision and strategy of the Centre to inform the policy of DES in the field of guidance, and to support and develop guidance practice in all areas of education and in the Further Education and Training (FET) Sector.

As Director of NCGE, Jennifer liaises with the European Commission. She collaborates with national stakeholders from all sectors in guidance, with providers of lifelong learning programmes, government agencies and non- governmental organisations. Her role also involves coordination of the National Forum on Guidance and chairing various national committees which focus on development of policies for the support and provision of quality guidance in the education and FET sectors. Jennifer is also a member of the Cedefop CareersNet network for lifelong guidance and careers education.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree in Psychology, as well as a Higher Diploma in Career Guidance from University College Dublin. Currently Jennifer is studying part-time for her Education Doctorate in Queen’s University Belfast.

SUMMARY OF PRESENTATION

Connection with the labour market. The role of employers in the career education of citizens.

Looking at how career guidance in schools and vocational education and training cannot operate in isolation.  Learning the competences of Career skills in schools, students then need the opportunity to test out these skills and  further develop their own personal skills  in the “real world”. Considering what contributions employers can make to career guidance and Providing an example of a new pilot project in career guidance in schools in Ireland where work experience is embedded into senior cycle and how employers / local businesses can play their part.