TO BE PUBLISHED March 2026
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This conference will focus on next steps for careers guidance in England’s schools, following the Department for Education’s updated statutory guidance published in May, the new Ofsted inspection framework and report card model, and the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and recommendations.
Practicalities & governance
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to consider immediate priorities for schools and colleges, including integration of the revised Gatsby Benchmarks, and responding to strengthened expectations on leadership and governance, alongside the demands of evidencing progress for inspections. Delegates will also discuss support needed for readying school governance structures - as well as careers staff and subject teachers - for embedding careers education across the curriculum, and demonstrating progress through Compass and Compass+.
Work placements
Further planned sessions examine the Government’s pledge to guarantee work experience and strengthen employer encounters, including the capacity of Careers Hubs and local partnerships for consistent provision across regions. Delegates will consider issues for pupils facing disadvantage and those with SEND, including the availability of appropriate placements, support for employers to make reasonable adjustments, and how consistency can be maintained where local delivery structures are less developed.
Progression pathways, skills & implementing the Youth Guarantee
Discussion will consider priorities for ensuring work experience placements prepare learners for post-16 qualification options and progression pathways, including A-levels, T Levels, and V Levels from 2027, and future employment opportunities and skills needs, particularly in technical and vocational sectors.
We also expect discussion on the Get Britain Working White Paper and transition to the new Jobs and Careers Service, including communication with schools and colleges on skills needs and employment opportunities. The role of combined authorities in engagement with employers and improving regional coordination will also be considered, in light of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill currently progressing through Parliament.
Discussion will also focus on the Government’s Youth Guarantee, with delegates exploring how careers guidance can support the successful delivery of the Guarantee, particularly for young people at risk of becoming NEET, and the role of schools, colleges, and employers in delivering the initiative and tackling the number of young people that are NEET.
Delegates will consider strategies for addressing regional disparities in opportunity, ensuring that work placements and training are of high quality, and aligning them with the skills needs of the labour market, as well as priorities for supporting employer capacity and support for providing placements.
Careers workforce & digital tools
Further discussion will assess long-term issues for sector capacity and workforce development, including the quality of careers advice, investment levels, and retention of careers professionals. The planned agenda will also look at innovation, including opportunities for the use of AI and digital tools in widening access, improving advice quality, and supporting staff productivity, alongside safeguards for impartiality and inclusion.
Overview of areas for discussion
- statutory framework: strengthening duties for schools - implications for governance oversight - the role of governors and parents in supporting benchmarks
- inspection regime: revised Ofsted model for careers provision - weight of careers in inspection judgements - implications for documentation in schools, including AP and special schools
- curriculum integration: subject teachers linking lessons to pathways - training support for staff - links to technical and vocational routes
- monitoring tools: digital platforms for tracking outcomes - contribution of external quality awards - feedback from learners and employers in evaluation
- work experience: implementation of guaranteed placements - regional disparities in employer capacity - targeted support for disadvantaged pupils
- inclusion priorities: equitable outcomes for disadvantaged pupils - tailored provision for SEND - adaptations for complex needs in mainstream settings
- careers services: merger of Jobcentres and National Careers Service - coordination with schools - clarity on transition timelines and labour-market data use
- Youth Guarantee: supporting implementation - equitable access, regional disparities, and the quality of placements - supporting disadvantaged and SEND learners - role of schools and colleges
- regional responsibilities: roles of combined authorities under devolution - shaping local careers ecosystems - strengthening Careers Hub capacity to convene employers
- workforce and innovation: recruitment and retention of careers staff - funding needed for capacity - status and training of professional advisers
