MPs slam school careers advice

In its first report, the sub-committee on education, skills and the economy has said careers advice in schools is "patchy" and too many young people are leaving without the ability to properly consider job, training and further education options.  

It has urged the government to incentivise schools to improve careers education. This includes a call for Ofsted to downgrade schools where careers education is not up to standard.

The committee said it is concerned there are too many publicly-funded organisations that oversee and offer careers education, including government-backed bodies such as the National Careers Service and Jobcentre Plus.

The report states that this exacerbates the inconsistency of careers advice across the country, and recommends the government gives responsibility of quality of provision to one minister and one department.

It also recommends that all government-funded careers initiatives should come under the Careers & Enterprise Company, which was formed in 2014 to support careers programmes across the country.

The committee, which consists of members of the business, innovation and skills, and education committees, highlighted concerns in the sector around the impartiality of careers advice and whether it offered pupils a true picture of the jobs market.

"We also heard that schools with sixth forms were particularly reluctant to provide impartial advice and guidance, because there was a financial incentive for them to encourage students to stay on for A-levels," the report states.

Neil Carmichael, chair of the education committee and co-chair of the sub-committee on education, skills and the economy, said careers advice in schools is "poorly" thought out.

"At a time when it is vital we equip young people with the right skills for their working lives, it's concerning that so many are being failed by the guidance they receive," he said.

"Careers advice should be a core part of a young person's schooling but at the moment it is little more than a poorly thought out add-on. Schools should be incentivised to treat careers education, advice, information and guidance as a priority.

"A school should not be graded as 'good' if its careers provision is 'inadequate'."

Iain Wright, chair of the business, innovation, and skills committee and co-chair of the sub-committee, called careers provision a "confusing and costly mess".

"There is huge choice in the career paths young people could embark upon and rapid change also means that there will be opportunities for jobs and professions in new and emerging industries," he said.

"Young people and their parents need the best possible and clear guidance to inform their choices and decisions. Yet initiative after initiative has rained down from government in recent years with regards to careers guidance, creating a confusing and costly mess when what we really need is a clear picture."

The coalition government transferred responsibility for careers advice from local authorities to schools in 2012. The move has been blamed by some for damaging the quality of careers advice available to pupils. A 2013 Ofsted report found many schools failed to provide information about apprenticeships.