Posted February 2018
With the launch of the careers strategy, new departmental DfE priorities and a wider remit for The Careers & Enterprise Company to cover all eight Gatsby benchmarks, you’d be forgiven for thinking that careers advice is firmly back on the agenda as part of the government’s drive to improve social mobility.
However, sadly these objectives do not equate to funding and overshadowing the government’s focus on education and careers is Brexit.
As part of Britain’s European Union membership organisations can apply to the European Social Fund (ESF). There is currently no successor in place to this funding from which our members alone receive £22m per annum to deliver targeted work to support some of the most vulnerable people in society.
In addition to this but on a separate note, the Inspiration Agenda funding element of the National Careers Service is also at risk. It is unclear whether this additional £2.5m funding received by Careers England members will go to The Careers & Enterprise Company or who will manage this operationally. Inspiration Agenda activities are wide ranging and include awareness raising of careers education in schools and colleges, facilitating links with employers, delivery of events such as careers fairs, delivery in custody, and so on.
We continue to lobby the government and are working with key sector stakeholders in recognition of these issues and for replacement funding.
