Select Committee · Education Committee

Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Jan 2022 Closed: 23 Nov 2023 5 recommendations 38 conclusions 1 report

The Education Committee is holding an inquiry on the effectiveness of the careers advice given to students. The inquiry will be a root and branch review of how well the current system for careers education, information, advice and guidance is working (CEIAG). It will have a particular focus on CEIAG for young people and children, …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - Careers Education, Information, Advice and … HC 54 29 Jun 2023 43 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
4 Conclusion Fourth Report - Careers Education, Info… Acknowledged

Update statutory guidance to mandate Compass tool reporting for all secondary schools and colleges

The Department should update its statutory guidance to make reporting through the Compass tool compulsory for all secondary schools and colleges, and work with the Careers and Enterprise Company to ensure that they are providing the support and resources needed to do this. (Paragraph 17) The organisations delivering CEIAG

Government response. The government agrees on the potential of digital solutions and has commissioned the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to review and recommend enhancements for Compass+. It will consider the feasibility of a national work experience platform as a longer-term aspiration, …
Department for Education
6 Conclusion Fourth Report - Careers Education, Info… Acknowledged

Careers Leaders struggling with insufficient allocated time and resources in schools and colleges.

Careers Leaders are much needed in schools and colleges, but many are struggling to fulfil their responsibilities effectively due to lack of time amid competing pressures, and almost half have less than a day per week allocated to their role. This is a crucial role that must be given the …

Government response. The government agrees on the importance of Careers Leaders, highlights existing support and training provided via the CEC, and commits to considering how best to strengthen the role and support them further as part of the Strategic Action Plan for …
Department for Education
23 Conclusion Fourth Report - Careers Education, Info… Acknowledged

Engage CEIAG professionals and employers when developing model curricula for career links.

In the Department’s work to develop model curricula, it must engage with CEIAG professionals and employer representatives to ensure that links to relevant career paths and examples from the world of work are incorporated. (Paragraph 82) Connecting employers with schools

Government response. The government agrees on the importance of linking learning to the world of work but states this is primarily the responsibility of schools and teachers. It commits to continue supporting teachers through existing programs like Teacher Encounters and developing curriculum …
Department for Education
30 Conclusion Fourth Report - Careers Education, Info… Acknowledged

Schools are incentivised to bias pupils towards academic routes over vocational pathways.

Simply informing pupils of the options available is not enough to tackle the fundamental bias towards academic routes still seen in many schools. As long as 52 Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance schools are incentivised to steer pupils towards academic paths and to celebrate university admissions over apprenticeship or …

Government response. The government acknowledges the bias towards academic routes and outlines existing Ofsted assessments for careers provision. It also highlights a new initiative with UCAS from autumn 2023 to present apprenticeship opportunities alongside undergraduate courses for greater parity of information.
Department for Education
33 Conclusion Fourth Report - Careers Education, Info… Acknowledged

Pilot programmes for disadvantaged pupils risk creating a postcode lottery of CEIAG support.

It is essential that disadvantaged pupils and those from minority ethnic backgrounds receive high-quality CEIAG provision and have access to the full range of opportunities available to their peers. While the Department and the CEC’s approach of trialling programmes in local areas is a sensible way of testing policy proposals …

Government response. The government agrees on the importance of high-quality CEIAG for disadvantaged pupils and the need to learn from best practice. It states that further details, including measurable outcomes and dates, will be set out in the upcoming Strategic Action Plan …
Department for Education
35 Conclusion Fourth Report - Careers Education, Info… Acknowledged

SEND pupils receive insufficient careers guidance; the SEND Improvement Plan missed an opportunity.

It is clear that pupils with SEND have particular need of high-quality, tailored CEIAG provision, and worrying that these young people are more than twice as likely as their peers to have received no careers guidance at all. It is positive that the Department is piloting extending Supported Internships to …

Government response. The government expresses delight about the Supported Internship pilot to extend the programme to pupils without EHCPs. It details the pilot's scope and timeline (autumn term to March 2025) and commits to carefully considering national rollout after evaluation.
Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

7 sessions
Date Witnesses
14 Mar 2023 Roger Cotes · Department for Education, Rt Hon Robert Halfon · Department for Education View ↗
24 Jan 2023 Graeme Napier · Academies Enterprise Trust, John Snell · Welton Primary School, Mr Richard Hamer · BAE Systems, Robert Peston · ITV News View ↗
10 Jan 2023 Anthony Barnes · The Quality in Careers Consortium, Joe Pardoe · Big Education Academy Trust, Jo Sykes · Co-op Academy Trust, Nick Chambers · Education and Employers Charity View ↗
29 Nov 2022 Harley, Hayley, Hollie, Holly, James, Maddelin, Mariam View ↗
15 Nov 2022 Oli de Botton · Careers and Enterprise Company, Roger Cotes · Department for Education View ↗
25 Oct 2022 Chris Jeffries · DevClever, Katharine Horler · Careers England, Paul Warner · Association of Employment and Learning Providers, Philip Le Feuvre · NCFE View ↗
6 Sep 2022 Alice Barnard · Edge Foundation, Chris Percy, Independent Quantitative Researcher and Consultant, Dr Rebecca Montacute · Sutton Trust, Professor Tristram Hooley · University of Derby View ↗