Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Fourth Report - Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
Education Committee
HC 54
Published 29 June 2023
Conclusions (8)
5
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 27
The Careers and Enterprise Company appears to have made improvements over the past few years and is achieving positive results, particularly through the expansion of Careers Hubs. 90% of schools and colleges are now part of a Careers Hub: we would like to see this expanded to all schools and …
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes progress, stating 90% of schools are already in Careers Hubs and all will be offered the opportunity to join by 2024, with 95% expected to be part of the network. They will consider how to scale up this ambition to 100% as part of the Strategic Action Plan for Careers.
7
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 29
The Department should set an objective for the Careers and Enterprise Company to ensure that 100% of schools and colleges are part of Careers Hubs by the end of 2024, and must provide the CEC with the appropriate resources and funding to achieve this.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the benefits and expects to offer all secondary schools and colleges the opportunity to join a Careers Hub by 2024, aiming for 95% participation. They will consider how to scale up to 100% as part of the Strategic Action Plan for Careers.
10
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 38
The Department should either work with DWP to ensure that the National Careers Service website has content appropriate and accessible to young people under 18 or create an alternative to the National Careers Service website which is accessible to and useful to young people. In the meantime, it should update …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, stating it is investing to develop content, improving website navigation and branding, enhancing the helpline, and committing to providing links to suitable websites for under 18s and creating a one-stop-shop for skills training.
28
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 102
The Department should develop a national platform for work experience placements, which includes virtual opportunities, allowing schools and employers to collaborate over finding and organising placements. It should work with the Careers and Enterprise Company to ensure that Careers Hubs are promoting work experience opportunities and offering the right support …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, commissioning the CEC to review and recommend enhancements to existing digital infrastructure for work experience. A national platform is deemed a longer-term aspiration, whose feasibility will be considered as part of the Strategic Action Plan for Careers.
32
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
The Department should develop potential solutions to the problem of schools being incentivised to encourage pupils to follow academic routes. As a first step, it must ensure that Ofsted are giving appropriate weight to employment and vocational routes when looking at destinations data and pupils’ preparedness for their next steps, …
Government Response Summary
The government describes existing Ofsted assessments for careers provision and how it promotes unbiased advice. It commits to a new DfE and UCAS partnership from autumn 2023, allowing students to explore apprenticeship opportunities alongside university courses on the UCAS Hub, promoting them as positive destinations, but does not explicitly detail new solutions for school incentives or how Ofsted will specifically weigh destination data.
36
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 135
The Department should work with the CEC to collect and publish data on the proportion of SENCOs who have undertaken careers training, and set out the steps it intends to take to ensure that all SENCOs are fully trained and working with Careers Leaders with a school or college.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of SEND careers support, stating it funds the CEC to develop Careers Leader training (including for SENCOs) and will ask CEC to continue working with partners like NASEN to enhance SENCO professional development. However, it does not commit to collecting and publishing data on SENCO careers training or outlining steps to ensure all SENCOs are fully trained.
39
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 143
The Department must scale up its programme of expanded Pupil Premium Plus funding to cover all areas of the country and ensure that, as a condition of receiving the funding, local authorities are providing young people with access to careers advice.
Government Response Summary
The Department has scaled up Pupil Premium Plus-style funding to £24 million for all local authorities from 2023–24, meeting the first part of the recommendation. However, it states that Virtual School Heads will have discretion over the funding's use and are only 'asked to consider' improving careers advice, rather than making it a mandatory condition.
40
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 144
The Department should conduct research into the experience of CEIAG among young carers and the barriers they face. Following this, it should use its learning from its existing pilot programmes for disadvantaged groups to put in place targeted support for this group.
Government Response Summary
The government has added young carers to the school census to identify support needs, partially addressing the research component. It outlines existing measures like Pupil Premium Plus, increased apprenticeship bursaries, and Civil Service internships to support young carers, but does not explicitly detail new targeted support based on learning from existing pilot programmes.