In October 2023, the department launched a new website called Skills for Careers that provides a single digital front door to information about skills training options and careers. From Skills for Careers, users are guided through government’s skills offer from apprenticeships to Skills Bootcamps, A levels to Multiply. The website provides an overview of each option, along with information about writing job applications and CVs. The Skill for Life website can be found here: https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life.

The government has strengthened legislation to ensure all secondary pupils have access to independent and impartial careers guidance, and pupils in years 8-13 have at least six opportunities to hear directly from providers of technical education and apprenticeships.

Since September 2012, schools have had a statutory duty to secure independent careers guidance. For pupils of compulsory school age, this must include information on the full range of 16-18 education and training options, including apprenticeships.

The Careers and Enterprise Company will ensure that Careers Hubs increase young peoples’ exposure to employers and more in-depth workplace experiences. These experiences give young people a real feel for work and the skills they need to succeed.

The National Careers Service provides free, impartial high-quality careers information, advice and guidance. Young people aged 13-18 can access information and advice through the service website and local community-based careers advisers via a web chat service and a telephone helpline.

The Careers Pathway Dashboard allows users to see which are the most popular and best qualifications needed to gain successful employment in a specific sector within a local area. This is a first attempt to create information to support careers advice for young people exploring their career options or starting their career. The Careers Pathway Dashboard can be found here: https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/education-to-employment-dashboard/.

Careers Leaders work to develop careers programmes that will improve the quality of careers advice in schools and give more aspirational careers advice for children and young people.

The department actively promotes apprenticeships in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme. During the 2022/23 academic year, ASK engaged over 2,400 schools and colleges, with over 625,000 student engagements and more than 45,000 parent/carer engagements.

Jobcentre Plus school advisers work closely with schools and colleges to support their statutory duty to deliver careers education and guidance, assisting young people to make informed choices about which path they can follow when they leave secondary school or reach 18.

Section 42B of the Education Act 1997 requires schools to provide at least six opportunities for providers of technical education and apprenticeships to speak to all pupils, during school years 8 to 13.

During 2023/24, the first full academic year that the strengthened legislation has been in place, the department is supporting schools to comply and is monitoring impact. The department has introduced a ladder of support and intervention which is set out in its careers statutory guidance. This is to enforce the provider access legislation and to set out clear steps for tackling serious or persistent cases of non-compliance.

Ofsted’s school inspection handbook has been updated to make clear that if a school is not meeting the requirements of the provider access legislation, inspectors will state this in the inspection report, and take this into account when arriving at a judgement about personal development.

There is encouraging early evidence that young people’s awareness of the benefits of technical options is increasing. In the 2022/23 academic year, 92% of schools reported that most students had information about the full range of apprenticeships. 86% of schools reported that most students had meaningful encounters with further education colleges. Ofsted’s thematic review, published in September 2023, found that, in general, leaders understood their statutory responsibilities for careers, including those under the provider access legislation and they were making progress towards fully implementing the required changes.

We are hugely strengthening technical and provider access in schools. We have legislated for pupils to have six encounters with apprentice organisations and technical colleges. Ofsted is looking closely at careers guidance, and the apprentice support and knowledge network is going into over 2,000 schools, supporting 680,000 pupils and encouraging them to take up apprenticeships or other skills offerings.

Whether her Department has conducted a review of the effectiveness of provider access legislation.

Colleges in Southport have raised concerns about careers advice opportunities for students with SEND—specifically, about the suitability of the oversight and the supposed added value of these sessions. Will my right hon. Friend detail what steps the Government are taking to ensure that these sessions are personalised better to support SEND students in their transition into employment?

As supportive as I am of this scheme, I do not think that up to six sessions really cuts it. Will the Minister consider a scheme similar to Aimhigher, which was introduced by the previous Labour Government to encourage young people into higher education and down the vocational route? This would give young people mentors who have been through apprenticeship schemes and really get them hooked on the opportunities that vocational education can bring.

Careers guidance is the first rung on the ladder of opportunity, setting individuals on the path to success and allowing talent to flourish. The department is spending over £18.8 million to support the full rollout of Careers Hubs across England, so that every secondary school and college can be part of a Careers Hub. The Careers Hubs Network (CHN), delivered by the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), is a tried and tested model for partnership and collaboration in careers education.

As of April 2023, coverage of the CHN has been expanded to cover over 90% (4,621) of schools and colleges. Our ambition is to go further still and for 95% of schools and colleges, including in rural areas, to be part of a Careers Hub by August 2024.

Cornerstone Employers are also a key part of our careers offer. The CEC has built a network of around 400 Cornerstone Employers across the country, including rural areas, who support clusters of secondary schools and colleges. They provide strong local leadership in the area and drive the delivery of encounters for pupils.

Through the Careers & Enterprise Company and the network of Careers Hubs and Enterprise Advisers, the department is supporting schools and colleges to provide high quality experience of workplaces for pupils. In the ‘Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth’ white paper, the department set out its ambition to continue the extension of Careers Hubs across all communities in England. More than 90% of schools and colleges are now part of a Careers Hub.

Evidence tells us that sustained engagement with Careers Hubs leads to wider and more intensive employer engagement, helping more learners have a chance to engage with a range of local sectors.

81% of schools and colleges that have been in Careers Hubs since 2018 had at least 10 businesses involved in careers activity this year compared to 48% for those not engaged. As mentioned in the recent Education Select Committee for ’Careers education, information, advice and guidance’, 70% of schools and colleges currently have access to business advisers who are vital in supporting young people to access work experience.

The department will continue to assess the effectiveness of this work and Careers Hubs more widely in facilitating work experience for young people.

On 1 January 2023, legislation came into force that strengthens the provision originally introduced in 2018, in section 42B of the Education Act 1997. This provider access legislation, sometimes known as the ‘Baker Clause’, specifies that schools must provide at least six opportunities for providers of technical education and apprenticeships to speak to all pupils, during school years 8-13.

However, even before the strengthened legislation came into force there were grounds for optimism, as young people had more encounters with providers of technical education last year, including apprenticeships. In 2022, awareness of apprenticeships doubled by Year 11 with 39% of young people reporting awareness in Year 7, increasing to 81% in Year 11. In 60% of reporting schools, young people met independent training providers. This has risen from 45% in 2020/21, and 44% in 2018/19.

The department is aware of the importance of provider access legislation following a report from the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC). This report showed uptake of apprenticeships was 16% higher in the schools that provided information on apprenticeships to most, or all, of their pupils, compared with the schools that provided information to a small minority.

The department is investing approximately £34 million in careers provision for young people, including a grant of up to around £32.5 million for the CEC to support secondary schools and colleges to improve their careers programmes.

The department also continues to increase outreach of apprenticeships to pupils of all ages and backgrounds through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme. The ASK programme, funded at £3.2 million per year, provides schools and further education colleges across England with a free bespoke package of comprehensive information and support about apprenticeships. Furthermore, the department’s new ‘Career Starter Apprenticeships’ campaign is raising awareness of apprenticeships which offer great opportunities for those looking for their first role after leaving full-time education.

Additionally, Get the Jump, a digital campaign provided by the National Careers Service, brings together all the different education and training pathways open to young people at post-16 and post-18. The campaign helps to support informed choice and raise awareness of technical education options, including T Levels, traineeships, apprenticeships, and higher technical qualifications.

On 1 January 2023, legislation came into force that strengthens the provision originally introduced in 2018, in section 42B of the Education Act 1997. This provider access legislation, sometimes known as the ‘Baker Clause’, specifies that schools must provide at least six opportunities for providers of technical education and apprenticeships to speak to all pupils, during school years 8-13.

However, even before the strengthened legislation came into force there were grounds for optimism, as young people had more encounters with providers of technical education last year, including apprenticeships. In 2022, awareness of apprenticeships doubled by Year 11 with 39% of young people reporting awareness in Year 7, increasing to 81% in Year 11. In 60% of reporting schools, young people met independent training providers. This has risen from 45% in 2020/21, and 44% in 2018/19.

The department is aware of the importance of provider access legislation following a report from the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC). This report showed uptake of apprenticeships was 16% higher in the schools that provided information on apprenticeships to most, or all, of their pupils, compared with the schools that provided information to a small minority.

The department is investing approximately £34 million in careers provision for young people, including a grant of up to around £32.5 million for the CEC to support secondary schools and colleges to improve their careers programmes.

The department also continues to increase outreach of apprenticeships to pupils of all ages and backgrounds through our Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme. The ASK programme, funded at £3.2 million per year, provides schools and further education colleges across England with a free bespoke package of comprehensive information and support about apprenticeships. Furthermore, the department’s new ‘Career Starter Apprenticeships’ campaign is raising awareness of apprenticeships which offer great opportunities for those looking for their first role after leaving full-time education.

Additionally, Get the Jump, a digital campaign provided by the National Careers Service, brings together all the different education and training pathways open to young people at post-16 and post-18. The campaign helps to support informed choice and raise awareness of technical education options, including T Levels, traineeships, apprenticeships, and higher technical qualifications.

I attended a meeting of the all-party parliamentary group on fisheries, which I normally chair, where a keenness was expressed to encourage young people to have an interest in a career in fishing at the education stage. I have heard similar pleas from farmers. What more can the Department do to make that a reality?

The government is investing over £87 million in 2023/24 in high-quality careers provision for all ages. This includes a grant of up to £29.7 million for The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) 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.

The vast majority of secondary schools and colleges are now voluntarily working with the CEC through accessing training for Careers Leaders, joining a Careers Hub, partnering with an Enterprise Adviser (business volunteer) and using Compass/Compass+ digital tools.

Over 90% (4,568) of schools and colleges in England are now part of a Careers Hub, benefiting 2.3 million students. 70% (3,520) are partnered with an Enterprise Adviser to support the development of career strategies and employer engagement plans.

The department is ensuring parity of esteem for technical and academic options. We strengthened the provider access legislation which came into force in January 2023 and specifies that schools must provide at least six opportunities for providers of technical education and apprenticeships to speak to all pupils, during school years 8 to 13.

The department is also putting £3.2 million into the Apprenticeship, Support and Knowledge programme which supports students in years 10 to 13 in schools and colleges, along with their parents/carers and teachers to understand and apply for apprenticeships, T Levels and traineeships.

The department’s approach is working with evidence pointing to improved outcomes for young people. Evidence from three cohorts of year 11 leavers (2016/17 – 2018/19) suggests that each of the eight Gatsby Benchmarks achieved reduces the likelihood of any young person being not in education, employment or training, or in an unknown destination by 1.1%. The relationship is twice as strong in the quarter of schools with the most economically disadvantaged intake, as measured by free school meal entitlement.

Career readiness grows as young people move through secondary school. In 2021/22, a CEC survey of 34,986 young people shows their career readiness improves as they progress through school, rising from 45% in year 7 to 67% in year 11 and 74% in year 13.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of technical education pathways at secondary schools.

I am very proud to have Aylesbury University Technical College in my constituency. It provides excellent technical education for young students on a specialist pathway, but not everywhere has those specialist schools. As such, a proposal has been made to my right hon. Friend’s Department to introduce UTC-style courses in mainstream schools for some pupils who are perhaps better suited to that type of education at key stage 4. What progress has the Department made in assessing the feasibility of such courses, which would provide the qualifications, employment skills and work experience that are so important to today’s economy?

Students in my Meon Valley constituency who want to go to a university technical college can apply only to the excellent but oversubscribed one in Portsmouth. I am supporting the Portsmouth UTC in its bid to expand into Southampton, which will increase the numbers who are able to take advantage of this excellent education route and give choice to young people in my constituency. Can my right hon. Friend confirm when his Department will announce support for the next round of UTCs?

To complement our reformed, more rigorous GCSEs, we are ensuring that high-quality vocational and technical qualifications are available. We have introduced new technical awards at key stage 4 in engineering, technology and many other subjects, and we have our own prestigious T-level offerings for those from 16 years old onwards.

High-quality careers information, advice, and guidance is key to helping young people to make informed decisions about their future. This includes the ability to find out about and consider different careers options available, such as in the ceramics manufacturing sector.

Whilst an essential element of careers advice is that it is impartial, the department works with the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to support schools and colleges to embed best practice, so that young people are aware of the full range of careers and have access to meaningful encounters with a range of employers and workplaces.

The department funds Careers Hubs, which lead partnerships of secondary schools, colleges, employers, Local Enterprise Partnerships, local authorities, and careers providers to help young people connect closely to local skills and economic needs through a responsive careers education programme. Through this network, schools can make links with employers from a wide range of sectors who are working with schools and colleges to improve careers education to support young people to make informed choices, and to develop the skills they need and employers want.

The CEC can work with business and sector bodies to help them to engage with schools and colleges across England. Sector bodies can register their interest via the CEC at: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/employers/industry-partnerships/. Individual employers can also register their interest to support schools and colleges through the Enterprise Adviser Network or as a Cornerstone Employer via the CEC’s Employers webpage at: https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/employers/. Cornerstone Employers are a flagship group of employers from a range of sectors that work with networks of schools and colleges to improve careers education and ensure key skills for their sector are understood by teachers and education leaders.

In addition, the National Careers Service, a free, government-funded careers information, advice, and guidance service draws on a range of labour market information to support and guide individuals. The Service website gives customers access to a range of useful digital tools and resources to support them including ‘Explore Careers’ which includes more than 130 industry areas and more than 800 job profiles. These include a range of manufacturing roles, and describe what those roles entail, qualifications, and entry routes.

The government is investing £3.8 billion more in further education and skills over this Parliament to ensure people can access high-quality training and education that addresses skills gaps and boosts productivity. We are working with industry to shape our training offers, creating more routes into skilled employment in key science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sectors, such as engineering, digital, clean energy, and manufacturing.

The department is investing in Institutes of Technology, which are leaders in the provision of high-quality, higher level technical education and training across a range of STEM occupations and industries.

We have worked with employers to develop over 350 apprenticeship standards in STEM. There are apprenticeship opportunities available relating to careers in electric technology, for example the electrical or electronic technical support engineer apprenticeship. These same employer-led standards have shaped the design of T Levels, new Level 3 qualifications for 16-19 year olds that reflect modern industrial practice and include a 45 day industry placement. 14 of the 24 T Levels being rolled out are in STEM subjects, from Science to Digital Business Services, Engineering Design and Development to Onsite Construction.

The department is delivering supply and demand side reforms to reverse the decline in uptake of high-quality higher technical education. We’ve announced approximately £70 million to date in funding to prime further education (FE) and higher education higher technical provision across the country.

Central to our reforms is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). These are current (and new) level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE) as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers. HTQ rollout is on track. They began teaching from September 2022, starting with Digital HTQs, and all occupational routes are due to be rolled out by 2025, where relevant occupational standards are available. To date, 106 qualifications have been approved as HTQs across Digital, Construction, and Health & Science routes, for teaching this year or next. Over 70 providers were able to deliver HTQs from September 2022, with the majority being FE colleges. We have introduced an HTQ brand and are improving communication, advice, and guidance. From 2023/24, HTQ student finance will be on a par with degrees.

Good career guidance gives everyone—particularly those from less advantaged backgrounds—the ambition, self-belief and work ethic to take life chances whenever they appear and to level up our country. Will the Secretary of

State consider making it impossible for a school to get an overall Ofsted inspection grade of good or better if its career guidance is not up to standard, in the same way as already happens if its safeguarding regime is not up to scratch?