Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Acknowledged
DWP merges jobcentres with National Careers Service, enhancing post-19 careers support.
Conclusion
We asked the Department about the merger of jobcentres with the National Careers Service and specifically about how it would do better at giving advice to young people about what their wishes and skills were best 7 Machinery of Government – Skills, HCWS930, 16 September 2025 8 HM Government, Post-16 Education and Skills, CP 1412, October 2025, p 6 and 12-13 9 Qq 19, 22 10 Qq 19, 22 11 Q 21 12 Q 20 8 directed towards. The Department said that there would be no change to the current arrangements whereby, for many young people, the first conversation with a careers adviser happens at school at the point where young people make important life choices about what qualifications to do. The changes would be to post-19 support for careers where the Department’s aim would be to enhance and develop the offer and embed it into everything else that is done at a jobcentre.13 The Department said it was excited about the prospects for the new integrated service, which would allow it to take a careers conversation with a customer through to a skills conversation and then through to an employment conversation.14
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation and will be bringing together the National Careers Service with Jobcentre Plus from 1 October 2026. As the new service is being developed, the department will look to incorporate information on users’ skills and available provision to signpost people to training where they have gaps that need addressing.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: October 2026 1.2 The government laid out its ambition for greater access to education and skills through the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. The White Paper aims to reform the Post-16 education and skills system so that it supports the development of the skilled workforce and our economy needs. The transfer of responsibility for adult skills and careers from the Department for Education to the Department for Work and Pensions (the department) on 16 September 2025 has created a single government lead on work and training for adults, bringing together employment support and skills development in one place. 1.3 The Jobs and Careers Service (JCS) will be a new single and universal service, providing a stronger focus on skills and careers. By incorporating its new responsibilities, including into the JCS, the department is creating a more coherent and employment-focussed skills system. A key milestone is the bringing together of the National Careers Service with Jobcentre Plus from 1 October 2026. 1.4 As the new service is being developed, the department will look to incorporate information on users’ skills and available provision to signpost people to training where they have gaps that need addressing before they can get into or progress at work. 1.5 The department will publish an update in Spring 2026 in response to the “Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres” (September 2025) report of the Work and Pensions Select Committee. This will set out further detail on how the department plans to integrate skills in the Jobs and Careers Service.