AEIAG0036

Written evidence submitted by Next Steps South West

The Careers Leader Role

• Some schools appear to have Careers Leaders who are qualified as careers advisers, while others do not.
• Staff in schools often have CEIAG as an additional responsibility/role and are not given enough time for the CEIAG role.
• SLT’s don’t always prioritise CEIAG, making it difficult for CEIAG to be valued and supported throughout the school.
• Salaries for careers advisers in FE colleges and schools are generally low, and are often not full-time positions.
• Careers advice and guidance qualifications are expensive; usually in the region of £1500 - £3,000, which is too expensive for many schools and colleges, as well as individuals.

The Careers landscape

• There are a range of different organisations which provide careers advice and guidance which can be a confusing landscape to navigate.
• CEIAG allocations within schools do not seem to provide adequate resource

The interface with Uni Connect

• Without the Uni Connect programme, many schools/colleges would be unable to provide the same amount of advice on progression to Higher Education.
• Organisations such as Careers Hubs and Uni Connect programmes, operate on fixed-term funding, which can make it more difficult to retain staff. This can reduce their impact, especially at certain points in the academic year.
• Through collaborative working, NSSW has been able to bring added value to the regional Careers Hubs. In particular, NSSW has operated as a delivery partner, due to the different, complementary staffing models.
• The Heart of the South West has also acted as a broker for collaborative HE outreach/careers provision between NSSW and Devon County Council, expanding the reach of NSSW to select non-target schools.
• Post-Covid, schools have found it more difficult to engage with NSSW due to Careers taking lower priority than catching up on lost subject learning.
• Alignment of data systems would enhance the ability to monitor, evaluate and track.

The inquiry

• The title of the inquiry refers to schools but should mention FE colleges as well. Colleges need to provide careers advice as 16 – 19, and Adult learners have to make decisions around Further/Higher Education, Apprenticeships and employment.

Conclusions and Recommendations

NSSW considers that the investment into local Careers Hubs represents value for money.

NSSW would welcome:

• Increased value placed on CEIAG and stronger cohesion of careers provision, with CEIAG prioritised and more firmly embedded in the curriculum.
• The re-instatement of a national service, separate from DWP, to coordinate CEIAG
• The adoption of best practice from other countries e.g. the New Zealand/Canadian “Blueprint for Life”
• Increased and sustained financial investment into CEIAG.

March 2022