‘Overbloated quango’ Careers and Enterprise Company pleads for positive tweets following MP criticism

Janet Downs's picture
 2

Following criticism by MPs, the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), has sent out a plea for supportive tweets, Schools Week reveals.  

CEC was set up in 2014 by then education secretary Nicky Morgan.   It was supposed ‘to transform the provision of careers education and advice for young people and inspire them about the opportunities offered by the world of work.’  

Four years on, and the Education Select Committee wanted to know whether CEC was doing what it was supposed to do or was just an ‘overbloated quango’.   MPs criticised CEC for spending nearly £1m on research rather than on frontline guidance. 

Rather than rethinking its approach, CEC asked its supporters to tweet positive comments.  It even drafted a suggestion which ‘friends’ could ‘use it as is, or edit’.

Cue lots of tweets saying ‘Proud to be working with @careerent as part of the #EANetwork to connect schools/colleges with employers to help prepare young people for a bright future #impact’.   All retweeted by CEC, of course.

Having crushed the system of local careers advisers – Michael Gove hated them – the government’s answer was to set up an organisation which now makes a pathetic plea for tweeted support in the face of criticism.   It’s of no more worth than attracting lots of ‘likes’ for funny pictures of cats on Facebook.  

Careers education and guidance deserves better than this.  

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Comments

John Barber's picture
Thu, 17/05/2018 - 19:14

Disgraceful!


Janet Downs's picture
Fri, 18/05/2018 - 08:19

John - it's an example of spin being considered more important than substance.  Never mind legitimate criticism - count the 'likes'.


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