The Education Committee launches an inquiry into careers
education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) for children
and young people.
The new inquiry will explore whether current careers advice
provides young people with
sufficient guidance about career choices, employment, training,
and further and higher education opportunities.
It will also look at how arrangements for CEIAG could better
support disadvantaged or left-behind groups to access career
opportunities that may otherwise not be available to them.
The cross-party Committee will also examine proposals for CEIAG
in the Government’s Skills for Jobs White
Paper, and whether there is adequate funding to support
effective CEIAG.
Chair's comment
MP, Chair of the Education
Committee, said:
“Despite the great efforts of all those individuals and
organisations involved in providing careers guidance and support,
the truth is that careers guidance policy is not for purpose in
this country. We will never create a parity of esteem between
vocational and technical skills and academic learning until we
change the culture of careers.
“The hundreds of millions spent by the Government is not always
providing value for money due to unnecessary duplication of
efforts, and traditional thinking.
“What is needed is a sea-change of careers advice which puts
‘skills, skills, skills’ first and foremost. The Skills and
Post-16 Education Bill, currently progressing through Parliament
requires only one careers meeting per pupil over three key year
groups. Instead, we should see at least three careers meetings
per pupil, per year, involving colleges, technical education
providers and apprenticeship providers. This would show we mean
business when it comes to supporting our young people with their
futures.
“This inquiry will be a root and branch review of the current
system, not just looking closely at the data and outcomes for
young people, but it will also set out a plan for the
future.”
Terms of reference
The Committee welcomes written submission on the following
questions via its website. You don’t have to answer all of the
questions. You can respond on behalf of an organisation, or as an
individual.
- Whether the current system of careers education, information,
advice and guidance (CEIAG) is serving young people,
particularly:
- those from disadvantaged backgrounds;
- those who are known to the care system;
- those who are not in mainstream education, including
home-educated pupils and those in alternative provision;
- those from different ethnic minority backgrounds; and
- those who have a special educational need or
disability.
- Whether and how the Government should bring responsibility
for CEIAG under one body, for example a National Skills Service,
to take overall responsibility for CEIAG for all ages, and how
this might help young people navigate the CEIAG system.
- Whether such a National Skills Service is best placed in the
Department for Education or the Department of Work and Pensions
to avoid duplication of work.
- Whether organisations like the Careers Enterprise Company and
National Careers Service provide value for money to the
taxpayer.
- How careers and skills guidance could be better embedded in
the curriculum across primary, secondary, further, higher and
adult education, to ensure all learners are properly prepared for
the world of work
- How schools could be supported to better fulfil their duties
to provide careers advice and inform students of technical, as
well as academic, pathways.
- How the Baker Clause could be more effectively enforced
- How the Government can ensure more young people have access
to a professional and independent careers advisor and increase
the take-up of the Lifetime Skills initiative.
- Whether the proposals for CEIAG in the Government’s Skills
for Jobs White Paper will effectively address current challenges
in the CEIAG system.
- Whether greater investment to create a robust system of CEIAG
is needed, and how could this be targeted, to create a stronger
CEIAG.
