Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to enhance the quality of careers guidance available in schools in England.

It is essential that all young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. This includes finding new ways to broaden young peoples’ exposure to the world of work and ensuring they have key skills like character and grit. A new, independent careers and enterprise company, announced by my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, on 10 December 2014, will support schools by increasing the level of employer input into careers guidance, inspiration and enterprise. This is a vital part of our plans to strengthen links between schools and the world of work to ensure young people get the support they need. The company will have the specific remit of spreading existing good practice to every part of England. The company will receive start-up funding drawn from the £20 million for careers announced in the autumn statement.

The new company is a key part of a wider package of measures to improve careers guidance in schools. We have revised our statutory guidance to clarify our expectations of schools in relation to their duty to secure independent careers guidance, and will review it again in time for the next academic year. We have established a clear accountability system. Ofsted is giving a higher priority to careers guidance in school inspections and we publish destination measures which help schools and colleges to be held to account locally and inform choices by parents and students. We have also enhanced the role of the National Careers Service to help bring schools and employers closer together.