As set out in the recently published Skills for Jobs white paper, we are building on the 2017 careers strategy. We will update the statutory guidance for careers later this year.
Since September 2012, schools have had a statutory duty to secure independent and impartial careers guidance on the full range of education and training options, including apprenticeships. This originally applied to year 9 to 11 pupils and was extended to year 8 to 13 in September 2013.
The current statutory responsibilities include:
- Compliance with the Baker Clause (provider access duty).
- The appointment of a Careers Leader.
- The publication of information about the careers programme for children and their parents.
In January 2018, following the publication of the Careers Strategy, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-strategy-making-the-most-of-everyones-skills-and-talents, the department published new statutory guidance for secondary schools on careers and access for education and training providers, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools. This set the expectation that schools should work towards meeting all eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Careers Guidance.
In February 2018, the department published careers guidance for further education colleges and sixth-form colleges, setting out what they should do to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks. The careers statutory guidance for secondary schools and colleges was updated in October 2018.
Through our investment in The Careers & Enterprise Company and the National Careers Service, a strengthened careers education system is emerging.
Four in five schools and colleges in England have adopted the Gatsby Benchmarks to develop and improve their careers programmes and support their statutory careers duties. The Careers & Enterprise Company is increasing young people’s exposure to the world of work. For the employer encounters benchmark, every school should offer every young person seven encounters with employers – at least one each year from year 7 to year 13. Progress towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks has been greatest in Careers Hubs. Over 2200 schools and colleges (45%) are now in Careers Hubs.
The National Careers Service provides tools and resources to support schools, colleges and local authorities in implementing their statutory careers duties.
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