Prominent business groups, including the FSB, have joined experts from academia and the Education and Employers Taskforce in co-signing a letter with Graham Stuart MP calling for a change to the statutory guidance for schools on careers advice.
Graham Stuart MP, who chaired the Education Select Committee from 2010 to 2015 and who now chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group for Careers Information, Advice and Guidance, says, ‘There is no silver bullet to improve careers education but both business and careers experts alike agree making this change would encourage England’s schools to up their game, and better prepare their pupils to make a success of their lives.’
The letter asks Secretary of State Nicky Morgan MP to amend the statutory guidance so that all schools are required to work to obtain a quality award for careers education, information, advice and guidance that meets an approved standard (or standards) determined by the Department for Education.
The signatories agree that the statutory guidance, which only recommends that schools should work towards a careers quality mark that satisfies an approved standard, is too weak and is consequently ignored by too many schools.
Martin McTague, policy director for the FSB says, ‘Schools are under a lot of pressure to deliver on a wide range of fronts, so it’s not surprising careers advice has slipped down the priority list.
‘But getting good independent advice at the right time can transform a young person’s chances of finding a job they love and fulfilling their potential. We think this change will provide the nudge schools need to up their game, ultimately leading to better long-term outcomes for young people.’
Further reading:
