What is the great careers program? And does it actually exist? In this intro episode, Marian and Liv answer the questions you probably have before you commit to a new podcast. What is this show about, who is it for, and why are two people who come at career education from completely different angles doing it together?

In this episode, they cover:

What the name actually means and why it is a little bit cheeky. The argument that career education is not one person's job and never was. What a great career actually looks like — and why the answer is more personal and more complex than most schools treat it. Who should be listening (hint: not just the careers lead). Plus surprise questions for each other including what percentage of school leaders switched off the moment they saw the word careers in the title (Marian's answer: around 60%), what a great career actually is, and what they would both do if they were not doing this.

Coming up in this series of The Great Careers Program

Whose choice is it anyway? Are students really making their own decisions about their futures? AI and student futures: how do we use it for good? What is actually happening to entry level jobs? Beyond curriculum: what schools can do structurally and systemically. Future chaos: how to build hope and optimism through best practice careers education.

Find us

Search The Great Careers Program on your favourite podcast app and follow so you get notified when new episodes drop. Find us on Substack for episode recaps, research links, and the conversation between episodes. Got a question or a story to share? Email us at hi@thegreatcareersprogram.com.

About the hosts

Marian Wright is the founder of Coherence Co-Lab, working with school systems on the gap between intent and implementation. Liv Pennie is the CEO of BECOME Education, a careers education program working with schools across Australia.

References and links

Sir John Holman on the idea that there is 'no single bullet' in careers education.
Dr Glenn Savage, Professor of Education Futures, University of Melbourne.
JP Michel and The Challenge Mindset.
Mike Priddis on AI and the future of work.
Young women choosing careers - who decides? Jo Gleeson, Monash University.

Credits

The Great Careers Program is a collaboration between BECOME Education and Coherence Co-Lab. Hosted and produced by Liv Pennie and Marian Wright, with production support from Bev Laing. Music by Chad Crouch.