Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Rejected
Develop a coherent strategy for adult careers guidance based on needs assessment and audit.
Recommendation
DWP and DfE should work together to develop a strategy for adult careers guidance. This should be based on an audit of the current career offerings and an assessment of the population’s needs. It should provide an overarching framework and objectives for any careers-related initiatives to follow. The strategy should also set out how the Government will balance providing a universal service while still focusing on those people and areas who most need support. The Government should produce this strategy before it launches the new jobs and careers service, to help ensure the new service is more than just a rebrand of existing careers support. (Recommendation, Paragraph 25)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government explicitly rejects the recommendation, stating that following the transfer of adult careers responsibility to DWP, a separate careers guidance strategy would risk their integrated Jobs and Careers Service vision. They confirm extensive prior research and will consider a broader Jobs and Careers Service strategy in the future.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
We have reviewed the current National Careers Service funding model and contracting arrangements and agree with the Committee’s comments. The current contracts are due to expire on 30 September 2026, and from that point we will bring adult careers advice provision in England in house into DWP. This will bring employment support and careers advice together as set out in the manifesto and Get Britain Working White Paper, to create a single user offer across employment and careers support. This will ensure maximum flexibility in providing an integrated, adaptable service that quickly identifies improved operational practices and meets customer needs as well as delivering higher impact and value for money. Bringing the provision for careers advice in England in house will end the current incentivised funding model and enable the development of an integrated service with robust performance measures that will build on the Get Britain Working outcomes and align with the government’s wider employment goals.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗