Careers Education Up-date

Careers Education Up-date

The DfE have issued a reminder to all secondary schools to review their provider access arrangements to meet careers statutory guidance. This legislation was introduced through the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 and the Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Act 2022.

Some key updates are highlighted below:

  • Since September 2022, all schools and academies must now secure independent careers guidance for students from Years 7 to 13.
  • From 1 January 2023, it is a legal requirement for schools to ensure all students during school Years 8 to 13 have at least six opportunities to meet a range of providers of approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.
Education and Employers Charity

Education and Employers Charity

The Education and Employers Charity have demonstrated the impact of the Education and Employers’ Inspiring the Future and Primary Futures programmes, operating in secondary and primary schools respectively. The programmes have been designed to make it easier for teachers to connect with volunteers who can help bring real-world experiences to the curriculum and careers learning through a range of interactive activities. It has enabled over three million encounters between young people and the world of work, with over 11,000 schools registered.

Education and Employers’ research into careers and employment engagement spanning the last 14 years and including over 70 reports, show that employer engagement in education helps to:

  • Broaden young people’s horizons
  • Raise young people’s aspirations
  • Challenge gender and ethnic stereotypes
  • Increase motivation which leads to improved attainment
  • Improve social mobility
  • Reduce the likelihood of young people becoming NEET (not in education, employment of training)
  • Increase the amount young people earn in adult life
  • Help young people make better-informed career choices
  • Reduce the mismatch between young people’s career aspirations and the reality of the labour market

NEET Figures

788,000 young people were NEET, an increase of 64,000 compared with the previous quarter. The percentage of all young people who are NEET is estimated at 11.5%, this has increased on the previous quarter by 1.0 and is up 0.1% on pre-pandemic figures (Oct – Dec 2019). From October – December 2022, there were an estimated 299,000 unemployed young people who were NEET, up 65,000 from July – September 2022. There were an estimated 489,000 economically inactive young people who were NEET, a slight decrease of 1,000 on the last quarter.

‘Let’s Talk Careers’ in Primary Schools

‘Let’s Talk Careers’ in Primary Schools

We are delighted that we are now transferring the work that we have undertaken in secondary schools and are establishing ourselves within the primary school sector with a roll out of our successful ‘Let’s Talk Careers’ events.

The transition to secondary school is key and we know from our work in this sector that many ideas and perceptions of careers and pathways are cemented very early on in education. It is therefore important we have some input during the primary stage of the student journey. Our ‘Let’s Talk Career’ events have had a fantastic reception in our primary schools. We have delivered them in a fun and interactive way. The aim is not to narrow down students’ choices at this stage but to promote discussion, as the evidence is clear that students are formulating their views from a very early age of what careers are suitable to them.