TO BE PUBLISHED September 2024
Price: £150 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
This conference will consider next steps for careers guidance in England’s primary and secondary schools, and post-16 settings.
It will be an opportunity for stakeholders and policymakers to discuss what would be needed from a DfE strategic action plan for careers guidance following the General Election.
They will discuss what will be needed for policy and implementation to build upon recommendations and address concerns from:
- the Education Select Committee’s inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance, along with the current Government’s response
- Ofsted’s Independent review of careers guidance in schools and further education and skills providers, published last year
Areas for discussion raised by the Education Committee include:
- funding for school careers programmes and upskilling for teachers
- addressing gaps in access to quality work experience following the pandemic
- and access to quality careers guidance for disadvantaged students and students with SEND
Delegates will also look at key challenges identified in Ofsted’s thematic review, including:
- how to increase the amount of time available to schools to effectively deliver careers guidance
- options for better linking careers guidance to a school’s curriculum
- improving close working between school leaders, teachers and careers staff
- enhancing the use and collection of destinations data
Further sessions will assess the role of careers hubs, looking at best practice in facilitating partnerships between employers and providers, and approaches to engaging employers.
The quality of careers guidance and how it can be raised in schools, post-16 settings and non-school youth organisations will be discussed, alongside priorities for the equal promotion of academic, technical and vocational routes following a change in the law last January, which requires all year 8-13 pupils to have at least six opportunities to meet with technical education providers.
Delegates will assess progress following the announcement of the primary careers programme, with discussion on how best to develop cross-curriculum approaches to implementing careers guidance in primary settings, as well as raising aspirations for children and supporting staff.
Those attending will also consider future options for policy and potential implementation issues, including the Labour Party’s proposals to ensure every student has access to two weeks of work experience, as outlined in their Breaking Down the Barriers to Opportunity mission statement, and the commitment to train over one thousand careers advisors.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote sessions with: Alex Iles, Head, Careers Strategy and Infrastructure, DfE; John Yarham, Deputy Chief Executive, The Careers and Enterprise Company; Katie Ingrey, Education Policy Manager, The Institution of Engineering and Technology; and Dr Carol Davenport, Associate Professor and Director, NUSTEM, Northumbria University.
The conference will be an opportunity for stakeholders to consider the issues alongside key policy officials who are due to attend from DfE; ETI; DWP; SMC; DE, NI; DSIT; HMRC; and Department for the Economy, NI.
The proceedings of the conference will be circulated more widely, to Parliamentarians, ministerial offices, and government and regulatory officials with an interest in the issues being discussed. All delegates will also receive a video recording of the conference.
