PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Students: Employment (7 October 2024)

The department wants to expand access to high quality careers advice and work experience, helping to break down the barriers to opportunity and boosting economic growth. This government recognises that work readiness is a key part of school life. The department wants young people in all parts of the country to gain workplace skills and explore career opportunities.

In 2024/25, the department is investing around £30 million through the Careers and Enterprise Company to support secondary schools and colleges to improve their careers programmes in line with the government’s careers framework, the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. 92% of secondary schools and colleges, 400 leading employers and 4,000 business volunteers are part of a national network of Careers Hubs. They are working together to improve careers advice and inspire young people.

The department wants to go further to make sure that young people in all parts of the country get the opportunities they deserve. According to a report from the Children’s Commissioner, more than one third of children report that they do not know enough about good jobs available to them as they get older and leave school.

The department’s ambition is to offer a guarantee of two weeks’ worth of high quality work experience for all young people, irrespective of their background. This will open doors to a wider range of employers and businesses and give young people a greater insight into the labour market. The department has also committed to train 1,000 careers advisers so that young people can get the expert advice they need to reflect on their workplace experiences and set future career goals.

These ambitions are vital to ensuring that young people are supported to make successful transitions from education and training into employment. The department wants to prepare all young people to make informed choices about their futures and support them into work they can be proud of.