Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)

Education Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 25 Jan 2022 Closed: 23 Nov 2023 Parliament page
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 … Read more
5 Recommendations
38 Conclusions
1 Report
7 Oral sessions
7 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
21 Sep
2023
Report published
29 Jun
2023
Report published
14 Mar
2023
Oral evidence
14 Mar
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
24 Jan
2023
Oral evidence
24 Jan
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
10 Jan
2023
Oral evidence
10 Jan
2023
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
29 Nov
2022
Oral evidence
29 Nov
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
15 Nov
2022
Oral evidence
15 Nov
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 7 sessions
14 Mar 2023
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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG)
Roger Cotes · Department for Education Rt Hon Robert Halfon · Department for Education
24 Jan 2023
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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
Graeme Napier · Academies Enterprise Trust John Snell · Welton Primary School Mr Richard Hamer · BAE Systems Robert Peston · ITV News
10 Jan 2023
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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
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
29 Nov 2022
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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance
Harley Hayley Hollie Holly James Maddelin Mariam
15 Nov 2022
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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (3 of 8)
Oli de Botton · Careers and Enterprise Company Roger Cotes · Department for Education
25 Oct 2022
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Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (2 of 7)
Chris Jeffries · DevClever Katharine Horler · Careers England Paul Warner · Association of Employment and Learning Providers Philip Le Feuvre · NCFE
6 Sep 2022
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Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (1 of 7)
Alice Barnard · Edge Foundation Chris Percy, Independent Quantitative Researcher and Consultant Dr Rebecca Montacute · Sutton Trust Professor Tristram Hooley · University of Derby
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guida… HC 54 29 Jun 2023 43 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
22 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Careers education system lacks clear strategy and shows slow progress on benchmarks
The system of careers education, information, advice and guidance has undergone many changes over the past decade. It appears that the right framework is broadly in place, but there is a lack of a clear overarching strategy and stated outcomes. … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees the framework is broadly right and commits to publishing a Strategic Action Plan for Careers in 2024, which will include measurable outcomes and dates, directly addressing the identified lack of strategy.
Department for Education
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2 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Publish updated Careers Strategy by end of 2024 with clear outcomes and Gatsby targets
The Department should publish an updated Careers Strategy, developed in consultation with other Departments and relevant stakeholders, by the end of 2024. This should include clear, measurable outcomes and dates by which these should be achieved, including targets for increasing … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation and commits to publishing a Strategic Action Plan for Careers in 2024, developed in consultation with stakeholders, which will include clear, measurable outcomes and targets for Gatsby benchmark achievement.
Department for Education
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3 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Ensure Ofsted upholds strong focus on CEIAG provision and Gatsby benchmarks in inspections
High-quality CEIAG provision is an essential part of pupils’ personal development and should be a core part of the Ofsted framework. The Department must ensure that Ofsted is upholding a strong focus on CEIAG provision when inspecting schools, in particular … Read more
Government Response
The government fully accepts the recommendation, stating that the school inspection handbook was updated in 2021 to ensure Ofsted judges careers provision, including Gatsby Benchmarks, as part of personal development.
Department for Education
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9 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
National Careers Service website failing to target or be effectively used by young people.
The National Careers Service website is theoretically available to young people from the age of 13, but in practice is not targeted at or being used by them. Fewer than 10% of 18–19-year-olds had used it in 2018 and none … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation for improvements to the National Careers Service website, detailing significant past and ongoing work, including refreshing the brand, creating new content, improving accessibility, and enhancing the digital journey for young people.
Department for Education
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11 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Current CEIAG provision is fragmented, causing confusion, gaps, and overlaps.
There is a broad consensus that the current structure of CEIAG provision is fragmented, causes confusion, and creates gaps and overlaps. We do not believe that creating a single, all-age body is necessary at this stage, but agree with Professor … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, agreeing that the careers system is fragmented and needs greater alignment. They commit to developing a single, unified all-age careers system, starting with a new digital platform by autumn 2023, and will engage stakeholders on service delivery.
Department for Education
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12 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Bring existing CEIAG delivery bodies under a single strategic umbrella, ensuring full alignment.
The Department should follow the recommendation set by Professor Sir John Holman to bring the existing delivery bodies under a single strategic umbrella function, sharing a common strategic framework and coordinating local services. We ask the Minister to update us … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to developing a single, unified all-age careers system, starting with a new digital platform by autumn 2023. Further details and a timeline for reforms will be published in a Strategic Action Plan for Careers in 2024.
Department for Education
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13 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Inadequate CEIAG funding causing significant disparities and gaps in provision for schools.
The Department’s expenditure on CEIAG provision is around £5,000 per school— falling far short of the estimated £38,000 to £76,000 needed to achieve the Gatsby benchmarks. The expectation on schools and colleges to pay for CEIAG out of their already … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, acknowledging disparities and describing its ongoing investment of over £90 million in careers provision, primarily through the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and National Careers Service, and new legislation for statutory guidance. They state school leaders decide budget use and schools can access existing CEC funding for careers activities.
Department for Education
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14 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Pilot direct funding programme for careers advisers through the Careers and Enterprise Company.
The Department should pilot a programme of funding careers advisers directly through the CEC, rather than requiring schools and colleges to buy in this support from their existing budgets.
Government Response
The government partially accepts, but states it already funds the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to provide grants that schools and colleges can use to fund careers activities, including purchasing support from careers advisers. They highlight existing grant schemes and maintain that school leaders are best placed to decide how to use their budgets.
Department for Education
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15 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Provide one-off funding to schools failing Gatsby benchmarks to improve CEIAG provision.
To target those most in need of improvement, we recommend that the Department should make one-off developmental funding available to schools and colleges who 50 Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance have the lowest record of achieving the Gatsby benchmarks … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, but states that its primary approach already involves the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) using data to identify and target additional support and resources, including specific funding, to schools and colleges with lower Gatsby Benchmark attainment.
Department for Education
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16 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Integrate CEIAG provision support into education investment area packages for pilot development.
The Department should include support for CEIAG provision in the package available to education investment areas and priority education investment areas and use this to develop pilots in these areas to explore what works best. (Paragraph 56) CEIAG in primary … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, stating that the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) has identified 38 Priority Education Investment Areas where additional funding has been prioritised to develop and pilot careers provision, including specific support for primary schools, with ongoing evaluation.
Department for Education
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17 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Expand scaled-up support for primary school careers education to benefit all children nationally.
Starting careers education early is essential to broadening children’s horizons and showing them the full range of opportunities in the world of work. The Department has so far been taking an approach of relatively small-scale pilot programmes to test approaches, … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, agreeing on the importance of early careers education. They are funding the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to pilot careers programmes in 70 primary schools and developing a primary careers education framework, committing to evaluate these pilots and consider scaling up support for primary schools.
Department for Education
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18 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Evaluate primary school careers programme after one year and scale up nationally if effective.
The Department should evaluate the success of its careers programme for primary schools after its first year, and if it has been shown to have a positive impact, scale it up to cover all areas of England. In doing so … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, confirming the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) will evaluate the success of its primary school careers pilots and work with a range of providers. They commit to considering how to scale up support and will publish further details and timeframes in a Strategic Action Plan for Careers in 2024.
Department for Education
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19 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Develop tailored Gatsby benchmarks for primary schools and provide guidance to meet them.
Additionally, the Department should work with the Gatsby Foundation to develop a tailored set of benchmarks for careers education in primary schools and provide guidance and resources through the Careers and Enterprise Company to support schools to meet them. (Paragraph … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, agreeing to work with the Gatsby Foundation and other stakeholders to develop a tailored framework of benchmarks for primary careers education. They will also consider how the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) can best support primary schools to meet these, with further details to be published in a Strategic Action Plan for Careers in 2024.
Department for Education
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20 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Despite improvements, teacher training and curriculum links for careers education remain inadequate.
We have heard some strong examples of careers being successfully embedded into the curriculum and the situation is improving, with 70% of schools and colleges fully achieving the relevant Gatsby benchmark, up from 38% in 2018. However, more support and … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation and highlights existing initiatives like the Careers & Enterprise Company's resources, the Teacher Encounters programme, and investment in the FE workforce to provide the necessary support and training.
Department for Education
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21 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Launch consultation on integrating careers education into all levels of teacher training effectively.
The Department should launch a consultation on how best to incorporate careers education into different levels of teacher training, including for primary school teachers, looking at every level including initial teacher training and Early Career Frameworks, National Professional Qualifications and … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, committing to review existing teacher training frameworks (ITT CCF, ECF, NPQs, CPD) and engage with stakeholders to incorporate careers education, with further details to be published in a Strategic Action Plan in 2024.
Department for Education
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22 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Provide teachers with more opportunities to experience modern workplaces across diverse sectors.
There is a clear need to explore ways in which teachers can gain familiarity with the world of work in sectors relevant to the subjects they teach, in order to be able to pass this knowledge on to their pupils. … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation and states it is already addressing it through the Teacher Encounters programme, launched in January 2023, which aims to immerse 1,000 teachers in industry and has already conducted over 800 encounters. Further details will be in the Strategic Action Plan for Careers in 2024.
Department for Education
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24 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Insufficient access to high-quality work experience for disadvantaged young people persists nationally.
Too many young people are missing out on high-quality work experience placements, particularly the most disadvantaged and those living outside large cities. Increasing access is crucial to opening up opportunities for young people across the country: virtual and hybrid placements … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and has made experiences of workplaces a strategic priority for Careers Hubs in 2023–24, providing additional funding for three distinct activity strands targeting up to 15,000 disadvantaged young people, 5,000 in growth sectors, and virtual experiences for 7-9 pupils in 600 institutions.
Department for Education
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25 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Administrative requirements create barriers for schools arranging work experience placements.
We have heard that administrative requirements, particularly concerns around safeguarding, may form a barrier to schools being able to arrange work experience placements. Safeguarding is an essential aspect of every school and college’s work. The opportunity for young people to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees that administrative burdens and safeguarding concerns should not hinder work experience, and has commissioned the CEC to review existing guidance and resources, with the work due to complete this autumn, after which statutory guidance will be reviewed.
Department for Education
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27 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Develop a toolkit defining meaningful work experience for Gatsby benchmark objectives.
The goals set out in the Gatsby benchmark of experiences of the workplace provide a useful framework for schools to follow, but schools must ensure that opportunities are of high quality and tailored to pupils’ individual needs and aspirations rather … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees and highlights that the CEC has already developed a new resource hub containing tools and guidance, including an employer handbook and pupil workbook, which sets out what constitutes high-quality work experience. They will also review statutory guidance from Spring 2024 to strengthen content on work experience.
Department for Education
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29 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Robust system for monitoring provider access legislation compliance currently absent.
The new provider access legislation is an important step in the right direction to ensure that pupils are hearing about the full range of post-16 options available. We look forward to seeing the impact of these reforms, but we are … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the importance of monitoring compliance and outlines several existing mechanisms, including the CEC's Compass tool for recording compliance, Careers Hub support, a provider concern registration platform, ongoing monitoring, and Ofsted inspections which now report non-compliance and will publish a thematic review in autumn 2023.
Department for Education
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31 Conclusion Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Track compliance with provider access legislation and ensure consistent Ofsted application across schools.
The Department should directly track compliance with the new provider access legislation and ensure that the appropriate action, as set out in the statutory guidance, is taken when schools are failing to comply. We recognise that Ofsted is not awarding … Read more
Government Response
The Department agrees on the importance of monitoring provider access legislation and states it is already working with CEC to record compliance via the Compass tool. Ofsted's handbook was updated in 2021 to account for non-compliance, and a thematic review report is due in autumn 2023.
Department for Education
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38 Recommendation Accepted
Fourth Report - Careers Education,…
Ensure explicit focus on careers advice within Pupil Premium Plus funding criteria for disadvantaged groups.
Pupils in care and young carers are likely to face additional barriers to accessing CEIAG and moving into employment, but there appears to be limited understanding of how these groups access and navigate the CEIAG system, and little targeted support … Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation, highlighting the recent addition of young carers to the school census and a £10 million investment for 2023-24 and 2024-25 to extend Pupil Premium Plus. This funding will support children in care and care leavers in post-16 education, specifically including improved careers advice and guidance (CEIAG).
Department for Education
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Government Response AI assessment · 43 of 5 classified
Accepted 22
Accepted in Part 8
Acknowledged 6
Deferred 7
Total 5 recs + 38 conclusions