News

Careers England Good Practice Commissioner Guide

Careers England has published a report looking at best practice in Commissioning here. This valuable piece of work collects together lessons learned and observations from 'the other side of the fence'. It's a very useful insight into how providers feel in the commissioning process and gives an insight into approaches that can achieve better outcomes for commissioners, beneficiaries and providers, and improved value for money.

If you have any feedback on the report or would like to engage in discussion about its contents please contact Steve Stewart on steve.stewart@careersengland.org.uk or 07714673411.

Katharine Horler OBE
Chair - Careers England

Careers England response to Labour’s youth charter consultation

The Labour Party recently held a consultation on 'Building a statutory youth service', for which it aims to create a national strategy for youth work and a charter underpinned by law. The Party has said that: "it should be the responsibility of the Secretary of State to promote and secure sufficient youth services, working together with local authorities and voluntary bodies. To support this ambition, a Labour Government would mandate a national body with dedicated ring fenced funding to oversee youth service provision across England. This body would work with all local youth service partnerships, review local youth strategies, monitor and distribute funding, and advise on professional and service standards."

See our response here.

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Careers England calls for £50million investment in careers

Careers England has put together a paper to help shape government thinking for the 2019 spending review. ‘Providing a careers guidance system that our nation needs’ identifies current challenges and outlines the need for funding to drive forward implementation of the national strategy for careers. £50m is recommended to focus on personal guidance (Gatsby benchmark 8) alongside a range of other proposals to ensure the creation of a world class careers system.

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Careers England response to The Careers & Enterprise Company's Implementation Plan

Last week, The Careers & Enterprise Company's Implementation Plan set out its plan for scaling up support for schools, colleges, businesses and careers programme providers to help them meet the requirements of the government's Careers Strategy. Whilst we welcome both the Careers Strategy and Implementation Plan, we are concerned about the resources available to deliver such an ambitious agenda with limited funding. Read our response to the plan here.

Read the Careers & Enterprise Company’s draft plan here.

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Impact of cuts to the careers sector: £25m at risk

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.

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Call for careers advice in custody to be re-instated as over 65,000 prisoners affected

On 22nd December 2017, the Department for Education sent a letter to 7 prime contractors for the National Careers Service with responsibility for providing careers information, advice and guidance in prisons. The letter stated that in-custody service would not be continued after 1st April 2018.

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IEP and Careers England deliver joined up support to sector

The Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP) and Careers England Ltd are delighted to announce their joint partnership to provide learning resources, support and continuous professional development (CPD) for professionals working in employability and careers support roles.

Read the full press release here

CMQA position on the government's Careers Strategy

Read the press release here

New statutory guidance released by DfE

The Department for Education has published new statutory guidance for schools on careers guidance and access for education and training providers. It sets out what schools need to do to meet the eight Gatsby Benchmarks and provides guidance which underpins the new duty.

Quality body calls for careers strategy to be published quickly

Will we ever see the Government’s careers strategy? The Career Management Quality Alliance (CMQA) – a new sector-wide body of education and careers leaders focussing on quality - urges the Government to publish and implement its long-awaited careers strategy as soon as MPs return to Parliament in September.

To help move this along, the CMQA is today publishing its own recommendations. Chair of the Alliance and President of the Career Development Institute, Virginia Isaac, said “We want to be helpful to Government. To move things along, we have gathered the views of key education and careers bodies in the country and produced a position statement ‘A Careers Strategy that Works for Everyone’.

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Hear from the new Minister at our annual Careers Summit

On 7th November 2017 Careers England in partnership with Westminster Briefing will be hosting the fifth annual Careers Education & Guidance Summit in London. As in previous years, this event will provide an opportunity for all involved in providing CEIAG to children and young people to take stock, hear from leading thinkers and grapple with challenges now and in the future.

Delegates will hear from Careers Minister Anne Milton MP, key funders, Outstanding providers and those looking to move the sector forward and address the big issues of the day. Join over 150 careers professionals as they ask the questions: How well are we currently doing? What more can be done to improve outcomes? What does the future hold for CEIAG in our schools and colleges?

Book your ticket now

Katharine Horler awarded OBE in Queen’s Birthday Honours

Careers England is delighted to announce that its Chair, Katharine Horler, has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Katharine, who is also CEO of the careers charity Adviza, is recognised for outstanding commitment to improving the lives of others. She began her professional life in the 1980s as a special needs careers adviser, and has worked to support vulnerable young people and adults ever since.

Three-quarters of a million careers advice sessions

Our latest data shows the number of one-to-one careers guidance sessions delivered by our members, with impressive results. Nearly three quarters of a million (720, 050) sessions were delivered to individuals from a range of backgrounds and skill levels, with the ultimate aim of helping people to become employed or more employable. Thanks to our members for contributing to these stats and helping make a difference to people’s lives.

CDI and Careers England joint statement

Today the Career Development Institute (CDI) and Careers England have launched a joint statement highlighting that while there is wide political consensus that career guidance services in England need to be improved, there are no details in any of the manifestos as to how this step change might be achieved.

This statement builds on a press release issued by the CDI last week featuring our manifesto and seeking to offer ideas which would ensure a sharper focus and improved career guidance services for all.

View the full statement here

New policy commentary on joint committee report

The Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy has published its report on the quality and accessibility of careers provision for young people. Our policy commentary, prepared by Dr Siobhan Neary from the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), provides an independent analysis of the key recommendations in the report.

Read the policy commentary here.

Careers England submission to select committee on careers

Careers England has submitted evidence on behalf of its members to the Sub-Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy’s inquiry on careers advice, information and guidance. The Committee has called for written submissions addressing the quality and impartiality of current provision, and focusing in particular on developments since the publication of the Education Committee report ‘Careers guidance for young people: The impact of the new duty on schools’, in 2013.

Read our full response here

Careers provision for young people – where next? Careers England Policy Commentary 32

Careers England has produced a policy commentary based on the recent announcement of a forthcoming careers strategy by the Department for Education. Written by Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, the paper sets out:

• The scale of the skills problem and its impact on productivity
• The legacy of underachievement among many young people
• The welcome action the government is taking to reshape the framework for skills
• The need for young people to be guided though this increasingly complex landscape
• Policy measures that could drive accessibility and quality in careers education and guidance.

Click here to view Careers provision for young people – where next?

Careers England submission to the Social Mobility Committee

The House of Lords Select Committee on Social Mobility is undertaking an inquiry into how young people can be best prepared for the world of work. The Committee, appointed to investigate the transition from school to work for young people, is investigating the complex choices young people are faced with when considering career options.

Careers England has submitted written evidence to the inquiry which can be viewed here

Many thanks to the following individuals and organisations for contributing to the written submission:

- Tracey Burley, Careers South West
- Martin Vowles, Ansbury
- Chris Greaves, Adviza
- Joan Law, Morrisby Organisation
- Annette Waid, Cascaid
- Lizzie Taylor, Lawes Taylor/Rainham Mark Grammar School
- Emma Gotz, Hampshire County Council
- Sean Kearns, CXK