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Trends in Careers Education 82021Trend 3Trend 4There was information about apprenticeships inthe education system, but there is work to do toconvert interest to uptakeThere was an increased focus on individuals andtheir context through personal guidance, links tothe labour market and digital toolsSchools and colleges used a range of approaches toincrease awareness. Providers showcased their offer,businesses were invited in, support organisations deliveredprogrammes and apprentices themselves shared theirexperiences.Some 80% of secondary schools and 65% of special schoolsreported providing personal guidance interviews to moststudents. 95% of colleges made interviews with qualifiedadvisers available.Last year 84% of schools reported that most studentshad access to information about the full range ofapprenticeships, a continued increase from 2019 drivenmainly by schools with sixth forms.This work appears to have had some impact on studentunderstanding. Research by the Department for Educationshowed that, by the end of last year, Year 9s and 10s hadalmost as strong an awareness of apprenticeships asA Levels.3New evidence confirmed the importance of increasedaccess to information.4 Apprenticeship uptake for schoolleavers in 2018 was 16% higher in schools that providedinformation to most or all students compared with theschools that did so for a small minority.There remains work to do to meet growing student demandfor more detailed information about all non-academicpathways, including apprenticeships, and addressing thebarriers to translating interest into uptake.There was a 24% increase in schools providing labourmarket information to most of their students, with 73%of schools and 77% of colleges reporting this in 2021(compared with 59% and 63% in 2019). This was oftensupported by Careers Leaders being linked to organisationswith a role in local economic growth, such as CombinedAuthorities or Local Enterprise Partnerships. Localemployers played an important role too.There was greater use of a range of digital tools by CareersLeaders to personalise provision. There are 2,000 schoolsnow using the Compass careers platform to manage theirprogramme, to target support and collect student feedbacksystematically.

Trends in Careers Education 92021Trend 5Trend 6Training and local collaboration led toincreased progressNew evidence shows that improving careersprovision leads to better outcomes foryoung peopleCareers Leaders continued to play a central role in careersprovision and took advantage of new tools and resources.Over 600 Careers Leaders took part in formal trainingduring 2020/21, as well as more informal masterclasses.The majority drew on support from a business volunteerpartnered with their school or college.Training was shown to make a positive difference toCareers Leader knowledge and skills, the quality ofcareers programmes and performance against the GatsbyBenchmarks.4 Schools and colleges fully achieved anaverage of 4.2 benchmarks if they had a trained CareersLeader (compared with 3.8 for those without).Careers Hubs facilitate shared learning between schools,colleges and employers and target support to local need.The longer schools and colleges have been in a CareersHub, the higher their Gatsby Benchmark scores. Those inCareers Hubs for a full three years met an average of 4.8Gatsby Benchmarks.In the first year that destinations data could be linked toCompass returns, analysis showed a positive link betweenthe Gatsby Benchmarks and the likelihood of a studentbeing in education, employment or training (EET)after Year 11.5Based on data from about 2,400 schools, each benchmarkachieved by a school increased the likelihood of a studentbeing EET. This amounted to a 9.7% decline in theproportion of students who are not in sustained education,employment or training post-16 if schools meet all eightGatsby Benchmarks compared to schools achieving none.The decline was twice as great at 20.1% in the schools withthe most disadvantaged students.Evidence from the North-East Gatsby Pilot evaluation, alsopublished last academic year, found a link between thenumber of Gatsby Benchmarks a school or college achievedand the career readiness of their students.6By the end of last academic year 45% of schools andcolleges were part of a Careers Hub and reported strongerprovision across every benchmark.IFF Research (2021). Covid-19 Parent and Pupil Panel: July findings report. DFE-RR1157. Department for Education.3Percy, C. & Tanner, E. (2021). The benefits of Gatsby Benchmark achievement for post-16 destinations. London: The Careers & Enterprise Company.4Percy, C. & Tanner, E. (2021). The benefits of Gatsby Benchmark achievement for post-16 destinations. London: The Careers & Enterprise Company.5Hanson, J., Moore, N., Clark, L. and Neary, S. (2021). An Evaluation of the North East of England pilot of the Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance. University of Derby,6 International Centre for Guidance Studies.

Trends in Careers Education Trend 1Careers education became moreprominent in the curriculum last year102021

Trends in Careers Education 1144%increase in schoolslinking Englishlessons to the worldof work2021The number of staff working on careers educationhas expanded beyond Careers Leaders and CareersAdvisers. More classroom teachers linked key subjectcontent to future careers, highlighting the pathways intoprofessions and the skills needed. At its most ambitiouscareers in the curriculum meant teachers and employersco-designed meaningful and relevant learning.Teachers were an important part of the careers conversationWhen teaching maths, 64% of schools made links between certain subjectcontent and the world of work for most students. A similar proportion (65%)taught English in this way. This is an increase of 44% and 45% since 2019 (Chart1). In practice this might mean explaining units of measurements by referencingtheir use in industries like catering or teaching textual analysis by dissecting andexploring different business propositions.The proportion of schools teaching careers through aspects of science increasedby a third (32%) over the past two years. 70% of schools ensured that moststudents accessed this type of learning.PSHE continued to be the subject most closely related to careers learning (andwas up by 16% over the past two years).Chart 1: Change in the proportion of secondary schools achieving Gatsby Benchmark 4sub-benchmarks76-100% of students have experienced curriculum learning that highlights the relevance ofsubjects to future career %86%100%2018/19 (2550 Schools)2020/21 (3052 Schools)Source: Compass data from 2018/19 and 2020/21

Trends in Careers Education 122021Building careers into the curriculum was most common in schools that had beenpart of a Careers Hub for longest. 68% of schools in a Careers Hub for threeyears fully met Gatsby Benchmark 4, compared with 52% of schools that werenot part of a Careers Hub.A ‘careers focused’ college curriculumColleges have long been leaders in linking vocational subjects to the specific jobsa learner might go onto. Colleges also deliver a huge variety of non-vocationalcourses, and research published this year showed they are putting moreemphasis on a ‘careers focused curriculum’ across the whole college7.In the research, embedding careers learning within core teaching and learningwas seen as an effective route to engage learners. This often involveddiscussions about labour market information, inviting in guest speakers fromdifferent industries and employers delivering workshops that related thecurriculum to their sector.The insights from College Careers Leaders were reflected in the Compass data.In 2020/21, the vast majority of colleges reported that learners experienced acurriculum that highlighted the relevance of their subject to future career paths,with substantial growth over the past two years (Chart 2).

Trends in Careers Education 132021Chart 2: Change in the proportion of colleges achieving Gatsby Benchmark 4 sub-benchmarks76-100% learners have experiencedcurriculum learning that highlights therelevance of their subject to futurecareer paths74%76-100% learners are aware of theimportance of English for their career76%76-100% learners are aware of theimportance of Maths for their career72%0%2018/19 (239 Colleges)2020/21 (234 Colleges)90%88%85%100%Source: Compass data from 2018/19 and 2020/21The majority of special schools linked curriculum learningto future pathwaysA new national dataset about careers education in special schools was createdin 2020/21. 57% of Careers Leaders in special schools (533) and a number ofAlternative Providers used a specifically designed Compass tool.8 The datareturned showed how students learned about the world of work through theday-to-day curriculum and person-centred learning.88% of special schools reported that they highlighted the relevance of PSHE tofuture careers or progression paths for most students.The majority of special schools also highlighted the relevance of English (76%)and maths (73%) to future careers and, to a lesser extent, science (59%).

Trends in Careers Education 142021What does this look like in practice?Schools and colleges connect the curriculum with careers in many differentways including: Careers-focused curriculum design: Some schools and colleges spotlightcareers in specific lessons, others embed ‘career learning objectives’ intoevery lesson. Examples include teachers designing and using resources linkingsubjects like languages9 or computer sciences10 to industry and the skillsrequired. Others use lessons co-created with employers like Pinewood Studios.11Weston College in Somerset has created ‘career excellence hubs’ in each ofthe college’s fourteen faculties. This allows every subject area to have a focuson how it helps to prepare young people for the world of work.12 Projects with business that extend beyond the classroom: Thomas Dudley, a100 year-old manufacturing company in the West Midlands, have worked withlocal schools to develop history, business, design, English and maths minichallenges that link topics with jobs in the local economy. Pupils then visit thebusiness, and experience how the skills they learnt could translate into afuture career.13 Careers learning and experiences for classroom teachers: While training oftenfocuses on the Careers Leader, some classroom teachers are also engaged incareers-related professional learning.14 An extension of this model, deliveredby organisations including the Edge Foundation and STEM Learning, involve‘externships’, with teachers spending time with local businesses to increasetheir knowledge of career pathways.Gibson, S., Tanner, E. and A. Webster (2021). Careers Leadership in Colleges: Supporting learners through a ‘whole college’ approach. London: The Careers & Enterprise7Company.8Of the 550, 533 were special schools, which is 57% of all special schools in England. Of the 329 alternative providers in England, 65% have completed Compass – either theschool or special school ture

Trends in Careers Education 152021Case StudyHow a school in Buckinghamshire puts careers at theheart of the curriculumThe Misbourne is a secondary school and sixth form based in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire.Helen Hill has led their careers programme for eight years, and she’s seen careers education becomemore important for the school. “Careers is seen as a bigger priority. As a careers coordinator, I wason my own, now I feel part of a wider team – with more support in school from the senior leadershipteam and out of school from our Careers Hub.”We’re making sureevery young personlearns about careersin every subject, everyyear they’re in school,so they’re as preparedas possible when theyleave the school gates.Linking the wider curriculum to jobs and careers is a key focus at The Misbourne.“All our Curriculum Leaders are great, and take responsibility for ensuring thatcareers is embedded in their scheme of work. Many staff organise their ownactivities but I am always available to discuss ideas and provide contacts fromindustry to support delivery.”Students in Year 8 maths classes worked with a local computer company to learnabout data analysis. Helen said: “Students had to complete a real-world dataanalysis task from the company, present their findings as though they were in aboard meeting, and then be judged by the company’s staff. The staff were alsoex-students from the school, so our young people could ask them about theircareer journey.”In GCSE photography, teachers invited a medical photographer and an RAFphotographer in to support their class. This helped them see how the skills theywere learning applied in a business environment.Talking about how careers in the curriculum has developed, Helen said: “Oneof the things that lifted me this year was when I was walking around the schoolin advance of our open evening and I realised that departments like modernforeign languages, geography, ICT and science all had noticeboards showing where their subjects cantake students in the future. These teachers had taken careers into their own hearts, as this wasn’trequested by SLT or me!”The Misbourne puts careers in the curriculum to improve teaching and learning too: “Yes it’s aboutfiring up our young people’s imaginations. But it’s also about better teaching, making lessons moreenjoyable and subjects easier to learn and understand. Careers talks can be great and have a role,but our Curriculum Leaders embrace projects that involve local businesses, like the supportiveaccountants who come in to work with our business studies sixth form students.”Helen also uses the Compass digital platform to monitor how each subject is doing. “I audit eachdepartment once a term to check what career plans they have and input how careers is beingincorporated into each subject area. We’re making sure every young person learns about careers inevery subject, every year they’re in school, so they’re as prepared as possible when they leave theschool gates.”

Trends in Careers Education 16An expert's perspectiveOlly NewtonExecutive Director at the Edge FoundationWhen we visited leading schools in the US that areconnecting careers into the curriculum, something oneof the Superintendents said really stuck with me.Kids only put up their hands in high school for two reasons– to ask for the bathroom and to say ‘when am I ever goingto need to use this’. If we can’t answer the second question,we might as well stop the lesson right there.For me this really speaks to the power of Benchmark 4.Yes, it’s about weaving strands of careers discovery andexploration through the curriculum so that it moves fromsomething that once happened ‘at the end of a very longcorridor once a year’ to the heart of school life. But it’salso about enriching the curriculum itself by bringing itto life with real examples that show young people whythe knowledge, skills and attributes they are learning areimportant to their future. It’s a symbiotic relationship.Careers Leaders and teachers across the country should berightly proud of this trend, particularly in this challengingyear. When they really embed Benchmark 4 they give youngpeople the very best start to their work and life journey.The importance of this area was recognised by the Houseof Lords Committee on Youth Unemployment, which I hadthe pleasure of supporting as Specialist Adviser. I have alsoseen the impact on the ground in the schools we work with,such as the fantastic Firth Park Academy in Sheffield, whereI am also an Enterprise Adviser, and where teachers havebegun to embed project-based learning with real employerconnections to bring the curriculum to life.Edge has long been a champion of great vocationaleducation and of our fantastic, and often overlooked, FEsector. So it’s also great to see their expertise in this arearecognised, but also to see that many colleges are goingeven further to make careers and connections to reallife the centre of their work. We have loved supportingSunderland College to really take this to the next levelover the past year.Over the coming years, I would love to see these kinds ofapproaches becoming the norm in every school and college,with teachers and tutors having the time and support toengage with employers on an equal footing and bring backinsights and examples that drive engagement and bring thecurriculum to life.2021

Trends in Careers Education 17Trend 2Innovation helped young people to engage withemployers despite the impact of the pandemic2021

Trends in Careers Education 182021Fewer young people had opportunities to experienceworkplaces under lockdown conditions, including,inevitably, face-to-face placements. Despite this othertypes of employer encounters remained stable andinnovative approaches emerged.There are signs that employers are now starting toopen their doors to students again this academic year(although changes in the course of the pandemic mayaffect this). However there is consensus amongstbusiness and Careers Leaders that virtual approachescan usefully complement face-to-face engagement, withaspects of virtual delivery likely to be retained.15 16Pandemic disruption impacted opportunities for young peopleto experience workplacesThe proportion of schools reporting that most of their students had access to aworkplace experience by the end of Year 11 fell from 57% to 39% between 2019and 2021 (Chart 3).The impact on colleges was less pronounced. In 2021, 40% of colleges ensuredmost of their learners had a workplace experience, compared with 46% twoyears previously.Over half (52%) of special schools provided experiences of the workplace orexperiences of community organisations (such as cafes based within the school)to most of their students.Chart 3: Change in the proportion of secondary schools achieving Gatsby Benchmark 6sub-benchmarks76-100% students havehad an experience ofworkplace by end Y1157%39%76-100% students havehad an experience ofworkplace in Y12 or Y1365%47%0%2018/19 (2550 Schools)2020/21 (3052 Schools)100%Source: Compass data from 2018/19 and 2020/21

Trends in Careers Education 192021The development of virtual employer engagement for studentswas widespreadEncounters with employers remained stable with 57% of schools and 77% ofcolleges providing opportunities for most of their students.Encounters included virtual talks in assemblies, employers facilitating projectswith online groups, and events created and hosted on digital platforms. Forexample, Hertfordshire Careers Hub brought employers together through theHer

curriculum to future careers or progression pathways. Executive Summary This report seeks to draw out key trends in careers education in the 2020/21 academic year compared with two years previous (before the pandemic). It is based on Careers Leaders' evaluation of careers provision in 3,893 state-funded schools and colleges and wider research