Government ministers have been accused of inaction and “burying their heads in the sand” on careers education in a scathing attack by two high-profile House of Commons select committees.
A statement released by the chairs of the Education Select Committee and the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee is calling on ministers to act “as a matter of urgency”.
The two chairmen, Neil Carmichael MP and Iain Wright MP, are critical of the government’s response to a report published by the Sub-committee on Education, Skills and the Economy, which they both co-chair, earlier this year.
The report – entitled Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance – found that the quality of CEIAG across England is still “patchy” and that provision was “often inadequate”.
It said too many young people still left education “without the tools to help them consider their future options or how their skills and experiences fit with opportunities in the job market”.
Furthermore, the report warned that some groups are “significantly less likely” to get good careers provision including girls, ethnic minorities, working class, low-attainers and students who are unsure of their aspirations or who plan to leave education post-16.
It was the latest in a long line of reports (produced by various organisations) voicing criticism about inadequate careers provision and it came three years after the Education Select Committee itself criticised weaknesses in careers education in its own report – Careers Guidance for Young People.
The sub-committee’s report made a series of recommendations for the government and urged ministers to push ahead with the publication of its long-promised careers strategy.
It stated: “The government’s careers strategy is urgently needed and must include immediate steps to ensure all young people have access to high-quality information, advice and guidance.”
However, the two co-chairs are frustrated at the government’s response, published last month, which dismisses many of their recommendations and makes no mention of when or if the careers strategy will be published.
Among other key recommendations rejected by the government is the sub-committee’s call for Ofsted to introduce a specific inspection judgement on the quality of careers provision in secondary schools.
MPs also voiced concerns about the hugely complex picture of organisations and service providers offering careers provision for schools and called for the government-funded Careers and Enterprise Company – set up in 2014 to improve careers education and provision across England – to be used as an umbrella to pull these services together. However, the government refused this idea.
In a joint statement, Mr Carmichael and Mr Wright said: “The government’s lack of action to address failings in careers provision is unacceptable and its response to our report smacks of complacency.
“Ministers appear to be burying their heads in the sand while careers guidance fails young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and exacerbates the country’s skills gap.
“Impartial advice and guidance and high-quality careers education is vital if we are to achieve the social mobility and aspiration that the prime minister has talked about and (which is) vital to creating the skilled workforce needed to grow the economy post-Brexit.
“We are very disappointed that the careers strategy long-promised by government has still not been produced. It is also disappointing that the government has dismissed our recommendations for holding schools to account through Ofsted inspection and untangling the confusing web of organisations, services providers and websites offering careers advice.
“The government should think again on careers advice, take on board our committee’s conclusions and get its act together to produce a thorough careers strategy, which supports the needs of all young people and the economy as a whole.”
In its response, the government argued that the Careers and Enterprise Company had made “excellent” progress, including via its Enterprise Advisor Network, which has appointed 78 coordinators and almost 1,200 advisors to work with more than 700 schools and colleges.
Ministers also said that the National Careers Service is offering web support to young people aged 13 and over, with the website getting two million hits a month, and is developing a new digital service that schools will be able to use with their students.
Its response added: “The Department for Education is investing £90 million in a programme of work over this Parliament that will help all young people to access high-quality information, advice and guidance. This includes further funding for the Careers and Enterprise Company to continue the excellent work it has started, and £20 million to increase the number of mentors from the world of work supporting young people at risk of underachieving.
“The Company will also be investing £4 million on those young people most in need, including £1 million in the first six Opportunity Areas. This budget is in addition to a range of other government-led programmes, including £77 million for the National Careers Service in 2016/17. We are developing more detailed proposals and will be happy to update the committee in due course.”
To read the sub-committee’s original report and the government’s response, visit http://bit.ly/2fr08Gk