IMPORTANT STUFF: CAREERS GUIDANCE AND ACCESS FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROVIDERS!

"Excellent careers guidance makes sure there is equality of opportunity . It unlocks potential and transforms outcomes for people of all ages. We need to move towards a culture of having the right advice, in the right place, at the right time – backed up by the experiences with employers and educators that make a difference"
Following on from the publication of the 'Making the Most of Everyone's Skills and Talents' in December 2017, the DfE have now produced this important statutory guidance for schools. 

This means that schools must have regard to it when carrying out duties relating to independent careers guidance and provider access to schools. The DfE use the term ‘must’ when the person in question is legally required to do something!

The Government’s Careers Strategy, 'Making the Most of Everyone's Skills and Talents', published on 4 December 2017, sets out a long term plan to build a world class careers system that will help young people and adults choose the career that is right for them. This statutory guidance has been updated to expand on the aim set out in the strategy to make sure that all young people in secondary school get a programme of advice and guidance that is stable, structured and delivered by individuals with the right skills and experience and backed up by high quality world of work programmes that make a difference like the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programme operating in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield..

The careers strategy sets out that every school and academy providing secondary education should use the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Benchmarks to develop and improve their careers provision. This new statutory guidance has been structured around the Gatsby Benchmarks with information on what schools need to do to meet each one. The Gatsby Benchmarks are not a statutory framework but by adopting them, schools can be confident that they are fulfilling their legal duties: the existing duty to secure independent careers guidance and the new duty to provide opportunities to a range of providers of technical education and apprenticeships to access pupils to inform them about technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.

The Benchmarks define all of the elements of an excellent careers programme, based on the best national and international research and the Government’s expectation is that schools begin to work towards the Benchmarks now and meet them by the end of 2020. The careers strategy sets out that that every school needs a Careers Leader who has the energy and commitment, and backing from their senior leadership team, to deliver the careers programme across all eight Gatsby Benchmarks. Every school will be asked to name this Careers Leader. This requirement will be introduced in September 2018, by when more information and support will be made available. Importantly, the way in which careers guidance will continue to be considered during Ofsted inspection is set out in Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework and School Inspection Handbook.

The careers strategy explains that good careers guidance connects learning to the future. It motivates young people by giving them a clearer idea of the routes to jobs and careers that they will find engaging and rewarding. Good careers guidance widens pupils’ horizons, challenges stereotypes and raises aspirations. It provides pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to make successful transitions to the next stage of their life. This supports social mobility by improving opportunities for all young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Government has set a clear expectation that the quality of careers education and guidance should be raised in all schools. The statutory framework requires every school to secure independent careers guidance for all year 8 to 13 pupils. This makes sure that all pupils have access to external sources of information on the full range of education and training options. However, the Government wants to go beyond the statutory duties and introduce a framework around which schools can develop and improve their entire careers programme. This will help to promote a shared understanding of what excellent careers provision looks like and a consistent approach to achieving it. The Government therefore expects all schools to use the Gatsby Benchmarks to improve their careers provision.

The Gatsby Benchmarks
Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme
Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information
Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each pupil
Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers
Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees
Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces
Benchmark 7: Encounters with further and higher education
Benchmark 8: Personal guidance

The Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s ‘Good Career Guidance’ report brought together the best national and international research to look at what practical actions could improve careers guidance in England. The research provides a clear and consistent message that a good careers programme means achieving all eight Gatsby Benchmarks with every pupil and here in South Yorkshire, the Cutlers' 'Better Learners, Better Workers' programme is a proven and successful employer led approach which is available to support every school and academy deliver this.

To find out more get in touch!