Committees

Committee questions National Careers Service and Careers and Enterprise Company

9 November 2022

The Education Committee questions representatives from the National Careers Service (NCS) and Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) on whether they deliver high quality careers education.

Witnesses

Tuesday 15 November 2022, Committee Room 15, Palace of Westminster

At 10.00am

  • Oli de Botton, Chief Executive of the Careers and Enterprise Company
  • Roger Cotes, Director of Careers and Further Education and Senior Responsible Officer for the National Careers Service and the Careers and Enterprise Company

NCS is run by the Department for Education and provides free, impartial information, advice and guidance on learning, training and work opportunities. It mainly serves adults but children aged 13-18 can use its website and dedicated phone service for young people.

CEC offers training and resources to help schools deliver careers education, advice and guidance to their pupils.

The Committee will ask CEC’s Chief Executive, Oli de Botton, why so many schools fail to comply with the Baker Clause, which requires them to discuss technical education and apprenticeships with pupils. There will also be questions on the CEC’s role of helping schools and colleges fulfil the so-called eight Gatsby Benchmarks, which define what good careers education should look like. Philip Le Feuvre, Chief Strategy Officer at NCFE, previously told the Committee that only 7% of schools adhere to the eight benchmarks in full.

Roger Cotes, Senior Responsible Officer for the National Careers Service, will be questioned on why fewer than 10% of 18-19-year-olds use the NCS. A 2021 DfE study found that only around 1% found it the most useful resource for careers advice.

The cross-party Committee will ask both witnesses what should be done to improve the service provided to disadvantaged young people, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and children who are home educated.

This will be the third evidence session of the Committee’s inquiry into Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG).

Further information

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