Education Committee Oral Evidence: Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
On 14th March 2023 the Education Committee held their latest hearing with two key witnesses: Robert Halfon MP with ministerial responsibility for careers and Roger Cotes (Director of Careers and FE (DfE)). Below is a summary of the main features of the 90 plus minute hearing taken from the 27 page transcript, finishing with a brief commentary analysis.
In his opening remarks Robert Halfon identified three clear priorities for careers:
- A single unified system – accessible for everyone with high quality careers advice and in all schools and colleges around the country. Further details included:
- bringing skills-related services together across government to create a ‘one-stop shop’.
- Strengthening skills training and work experience – ‘putting technical and vocational education on an equal footing with academic routes’ Further details included:
- Baker clause and access
- further investment into the ASK programme
- 1000 teacher industry encounters in 2022-23
- approaches to work experience and encounters with work.
- Social justice – starting career learning early (primary careers) and support for disadvantaged learners. Further details included:
- coverage of SEND schools and alternative providers in careers hubs
- NEET prevention projects.
The Minister
The Minister was asked directly about the Careers Strategy (2017-20) and if this was to be renewed. In response he explained how the majority of the ambition set out in the strategy has now been met and the three pillars (above) are the priorities.
The Minister set out the responsibility of the Careers and Enterprise Company.
- Bring employers and education providers together using careers hubs.
- Training and supporting careers leaders.
- Providing practical digital tools and resources, so that schools and colleges can track performance in terms of their careers programmes.
The Minister had previously posed the question of a careers premium to schools instead of investment through the Careers and Enterprise Company. When asked directly about this the Minister replied, ‘’I have to deal with the world as it is, as well as the world one would like it to be.’’
He shared how the overall budget for careers is £100 million, £30 million of which funds the Careers and Enterprise Company. This would equate to about £5000 per school. The Minister set out how much the Careers and Enterprise Company has changed in recent years and the impact of this investment.
Common Strategic Framework
As part of the new ‘single unified system’ (pillar 1) the Minister spoke of introducing a ‘common strategic framework and branding – I want a one-stop shop’. This would involve bringing websites together ‘like an umbrella’, ‘perhaps called a national careers and skills service’. This was later described as ‘a single, digital careers information service.’
On vocational, technical and apprenticeships, the Minister spoke of recent success with UCAS where apprenticeship vacancies can now be applied for using the system. The Minister spoke of his ambition to rename ‘UCAS’ replacing ‘admissions’ with ‘apprenticeships’. Mr. Halfon MP challenged the previous approach of ‘university, university, university’ in favour of a new approach of ‘skills, skills, skills’.
The Minister spoke of the value of starting early in careers and how important career learning is in primary settings. He spoke of the current programme of support for 2000 primary schools in 55 education investment areas.
Much of the hearing focussed more on operational matters surrounding key components of careers provision in schools and colleges. These included work experience, extra support for SEND learners and those from disadvantaged and minority groups. There was also a focus on compliance issues for technical education and the role of Ofsted in this. For the full transcript please see here: https://committees.parliament.uk/event/17694/formal-meeting-oral-evidence-session/
Commentary and analysis
In a hearing of this kind it is difficult for a Minister to set out the detail of the immediate priorities while responding to questions from the committee. It is clear however the focus or ‘strategy’ for the short-to-midterm future is on his three priorities.
The One-Stop Shop approach is welcomed, though what would this look like in practice? A simple umbrella to join the National Careers Service with the Careers and Enterprise Company and perhaps Job Centre Plus, or a true landing space for everything to include the Career development Institute, Quality in Careers Standard, Gatsby, Ofsted, through to the many support services from ASK apprenticeships through to STEM.
Quality is central to priority one, but the detail provided lacked ambition. It draws on the success of the Gatsby Benchmarks and the current review but celebrates the success in the recording of the self-assessments, rather than building on the ‘strong recommendation’ in the statutory guidance to externally validate provision using the Quality in Careers Standard. The same can be said for the
quotations used for ‘career readiness’. These statistics seem most positive, but it is important to remember that this is based on how confident young people rate themselves in their readiness, rather than the knowledge, skills and attitudes they can demonstrate. The statistics do not indicate how employers rate the career readiness of young people either.
Parity of progression opportunities and qualifications is also welcomed and something that has been attempted now for decades. There is much focus now on technical education and apprenticeships in the Provider Access Legislation and the strengthening of the Baker Clause, but there is still a large gap to access the level 3 technical qualifications and apprenticeships as well as work to be done with universities and employers in ensuring they are accepted.
It is Good to see
It is good to see careers in primary settings featuring prominently as part of the priorities, as well as steps to attempt to close the gap and social justice using careers. Much of the discussion here focussed on work experience and encounters. It was sad to see no reference to the impact of Careers (Personal) Guidance or of the CDI Career Development Framework that now provides career learning areas from The Early Years Foundation stage . A recent Careers England report highlights that up to 50% of Careers Guidance Practitioners will be leaving the profession over the next 5 years or so. Upskilling the future workforce has to be a clear priority, as well as addressing the terms and conditions that careers leaders and other career professionals endure throughout the country for the sterling work, they do.