Agenda item

The Committee had agreed, at its previous meeting, to establish a topic group looking into the new careers education, information, advice & guidance service that was being run to replace the old Connexions careers service. The Committee considered a report which offered potential lines of enquiry.

The Committee noted that the Education Act 2011 had inserted a new duty, section 42A, into Part VII of the Education Act 1997, requiring schools to secure access to independent careers guidance for pupils in years 9-11. Careers guidance would need to be presented in an impartial manner and promote the best interests of the pupils to whom it was given. Careers guidance also needed to include information on all options available in respect of 16-18 education or training, including apprenticeships and other work-based education and training options.

The Committee was informed that the Government’s general approach was to give schools greater freedom and flexibility to decide how to fulfil their statutory duties in accordance with the needs of their pupils. However, there was an expectation that schools would have regard to statutory guidance when deciding on the most appropriate forms of independent careers guidance.

The Education Act 2011 placed schools under a duty to secure access to independent and impartial careers guidance for their pupils from September 2012. While complying with the requirement to secure careers guidance from an external source, schools would be free to make arrangements for careers guidance that would fit the needs and circumstances of their pupils, and would be expected to work, as appropriate, in partnership with external and expert providers.

The National Careers Service had been fully operational from April 2012. It would comprise a single website (www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk from April) and telephone helpline number to which schools would be able to direct pupils.

In fulfilling their new duty, schools were required to secure access to independent face-to-face careers guidance where it was the most suitable support for young people to make successful transitions, particularly children from disadvantaged backgrounds or those who had special educational needs, learning difficulties or disabilities.

Schools would be able to work individually or in consortia/partnerships to secure careers guidance services. Schools could commission independent careers guidance from providers engaged in delivering the National Careers Service or from other providers or individual careers guidance practitioners, as they would see fit. Where schools deemed face-to-face careers guidance to be appropriate for their pupils, it could be provided by qualified careers professionals.

Schools would need to consider a range of wider careers activities such as engagement with local employers and work-based education and training providers to offer all young people insights into the world of work, and with local colleges and universities for first-hand experience of further and higher education. Schools were free to determine the most appropriate forms of engagement but might consider mentoring, workplace visits, work experience, work shadowing, enterprise clubs, employer talks and links with local higher education institutions.

Schools have a responsibility to act impartially and recognise where it may be in the best interests of some pupils to pursue their education in a further education college or a university technical college, for example. This might include A-levels, apprenticeships and vocational options. This would require schools to establish and maintain links with local post-16 education and training providers, including further education colleges and work-based education and training providers, to ensure that young people were aware of the full range of academic and vocational options.

Schools were also encouraged to arrange visits for 14-16 year olds to local colleges, work-based education and training providers and universities and, where appropriate, to supplement these with local college and work-based education and training provider prospectuses being made available to pupils to assist informed decision making.

The Committee was informed of the responsibilities of local authorities with regards the new arrangements. It was stated that there was no expectation that local authorities would provide a universal careers service. The statutory responsibility under section 68 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 requiring local authorities to encourage, enable and assist the participation of young people in education or training, remains unchanged. Local Authorities were required to assist the most vulnerable young people and those at risk of disengaging with education or work.

Local authorities were also expected to have arrangements in place to ensure that 16 and 17 year olds had received an offer of a suitable place in post-16 education or training, and that they were assisted to take up a place. This would become increasingly important as the participation age is raised.

To enable local authorities to fulfil these duties, they would continue to track all young people’s participation through the local Client Caseload Information System (CCIS) in order to identify those who were at risk of not participating post-16, or were in need of targeted support. Schools would be required to work with local authorities to support them in recording young people’s post-16 plans and the offers they receive along with their current circumstances and activities.

Section 72 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 required all schools to provide relevant information about pupils to local authority support services. Schools should also work in partnership with local authorities to ensure they know what services should be available, and how young people can be referred for support. From 2013 schools would be under a duty to notify local authorities whenever a 16 or 17 year old leaves education.

The Committee noted the report and would determine the scope and remit of the topic group at the first meeting of that group.

The members of the topic group would be:

Cllr Sandra Binion

Cllr Gillian Ford

Cllr Pat Murray

Cllr Melvin Wallace

Cllr Keith Wells

Cllr Frederick Thompson