House of Commons · Westminster Hall
11 January 2022 · 13 other contributors · 9,857 words
Opened by Esther McVey Con Tatton
Responding minister: Michelle Donelan
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Esther McVey raised concerns about careers guidance in schools in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
I ask the Government to ensure that careers guidance is of a high quality for all pupils, irrespective of where they come from. I also request plans on linking pupils with local businesses, supporting schools to bring in role models through both traditional and innovative means, and addressing the piecemeal nature of current guidance.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the inconsistent quality of careers advice provided to pupils, with some schools failing to meet any of the eight Gatsby benchmarks. Only 41% of 11 to 16-year-olds have discussed apprenticeships at school and only 21% of teachers advise high-performing students towards them over university. This guidance often favours academic routes and does not adequately cater to pupils' individual needs.
Welcomed progress on careers guidance and highlighted regional disparity, focusing on south Devon. Advocated for early intervention, hands-on experience, and promoting local opportunities as part of the levelling-up agenda.
Asked how Labour would find placements for statutory six weeks of work experience per child, questioning the capacity in communities to deliver such an initiative. Inquires about the effectiveness of previous measures to ensure schools deliver high-quality careers advice and asks if the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill will strengthen this ability.
Asked Jo Gideon about the role of parents in influencing children's career choices.
Emphasised the difficulty in Leicestershire where people often remain in low-paid, low-skilled jobs due to a lack of additional skills. Highlighted achievements from the Careers & Enterprise Company and local projects such as Loughborough's Bridge to Work programme.
Mr. Jim Shannon emphasized the importance of careers guidance in schools, particularly from a Northern Irish perspective. He noted that children are forced to think about their futures early on, at ages 14 or 15 when choosing GCSEs, and stressed that proper support must be available for them. He highlighted recent statistics showing that 65% of degree students regret their academic choices and two out of five schoolchildren feel like failures if they do not go to university. Shannon encouraged the allocation of one-to-one chats with careers advisers in schools and universities, and urged the Minister and Department to work with education counterparts in devolved nations to ensure access to a wide range of career advice.
Emphasised the importance of careers education in promoting social equity and mobility. Highlighted Stoke-on-Trent's participation in the Government's careers hubs programme, with St Joseph's College as a model example. Raised concerns about changing values and job security post-pandemic, stressing the need for attitude over skills.
Emphasised the importance of face-to-face advice for careers guidance, noting that online or remote connections are insufficient to address the disadvantages faced by those without access to familiar networks. Asked the Minister to assure the availability of sufficient quality face-to-face guidance for all children.
Agreed with previous speaker, highlighting the importance of careers guidance in levelling up areas like Bolsover by providing clear pathways, encouraging aspiration and reinforcing messages about career opportunities. Stressed the need to start early and support both academic and technical pathways.
I congratulate my hon. Friend on the Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Bill, which aims to give careers guidance to pupils as young as year 7 and is due to complete its passage through the House.
Discussed Labour's commitment to careers education, mentioning a pledge from Keir Starmer to reintroduce two weeks of compulsory work experience. He highlighted the importance of quality careers advice for young people's future prospects and social justice. Emphasised the benefits of high-quality careers education in improving academic attainment and reducing NEET rates.
Mr. Moore emphasised the importance of providing comprehensive careers guidance to ensure that young people are aware of all available opportunities, not just academic paths. He highlighted the need for consistency across different types of educational institutions and supported the Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Bill introduced by his colleague Mark Jenkinson.
My right hon. Friend is passionate about careers guidance and extending opportunities to all pupils, particularly young girls, aiming to smash glass ceilings and break stereotypes.
Calls for the Government to ensure young people receive quality careers advice, citing a postcode lottery in access and highlighting that only half of parents think their school offers good careers guidance. The speaker also mentions that 44% of employers feel young people are not work-ready upon leaving education.
Government Response
Michelle DonelanI want to start by congratulating my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton on securing this debate and her work in setting up If Chloe Can, which empowers young girls and women. I agree that every secondary school pupil should have access to high-quality careers guidance regardless of background or geography. Ofsted is now playing a more active role in assessing the quality of careers support available to schools. We are supporting the Education (Careers Guidance in Schools) Bill, which will extend careers provision to all pupils in state education for the first time, including year 7 and upwards. The Government has invested £28 million this year for The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to help schools implement the Gatsby benchmarks, which have shown a nearly 10% rise in sustained post-16 education, employment or training when all eight benchmarks are met. Additionally, new careers hubs and enterprise advisers are being established to provide local partnerships with businesses and providers for comprehensive support. We aim to increase young people's exposure to employers through mentoring opportunities and are working closely with cornerstone employers like the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Gatwick airport, Hilton hotels, and Pinewood Studios to challenge negative stereotypes and promote a wide range of career possibilities.