Careers guidance provision - an update

From September this year, schools will have a new statutory duty to secure independent careers guidance for students in Years 9-11. In future this may be extended down to Year 8 and up to Year 13. The statutory duty to teach careers education will be removed.

This opens another chapter in the story of careers guidance provision since the Careers Service succeeded the Youth Employment Office in 1973. The role has moved from the Local Authority to a privatised service, centrally commissioned - to a broader Connexions role looking at a wider range of wellbeing matters for a more targeted group of young people  - and back to a Local Authority commissioned or provided model. Generally speaking, there has always been a partnership approach between schools and providers. And now: decisions about careers education and careers guidance for young people will be made by schools. Schools will determine, manage and pay for whatever provision they deem necessary to meet the needs of their learners.

LAs will retain the statutory duty to provide careers information, advice and guidance until schools assume this responsibility in September, but will continue to have responsibility to provide support for vulnerable learners.

Services procured by schools must include a guarantee of independence and impartiality. They should be able to prove that they are supplied in the best interests of the learner, rather than the institution.

From January 2012, in order to be seen as effective by Ofsted schools will have to demonstrate that their learners:

‘gain a well informed understanding of the options and challenges facing them….. and that they have excellent experiences at school ensuring they are well equipped as they move through school and on into the next stage of their education, training or employment.’

In addition the new ‘destination measure’, when introduced, will increase school accountability for the progression of their students alongside current performance measures.

All interesting issues for schools to grapple with as they prepare for the next academic year! A new framework for the provision of career and work-related learning has been produced but not yet issued as official guidance to schools.

This is of course all very relevant to the service NYBEP provides, and we shall continue to provide updates as policy and practice become clearer over the coming months.