Understanding Modern Careers Guidance

Navigating the path from school to a fulfilling career is a hard journey for students! The level of personalised support they receive can make all the difference. Time is needed to help students understand themselves, their needs, which learning pathways and careers could suit their personality and to gently help with aspiration.

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What is Modern Careers Guidance in Schools?

Qualifications and Standards:

  • Careers Counsellors in UK schools now need to be highly qualified. We need both a degree and postgraduate qualification in careers guidance to be permitted to practice in schools.

  • We must be registered on the UK Register of Career Professionals (Career Development Institute).

  • We complete 25 hours of Continuing Professional Development annually.

Current picture in many schools:

  • Careers Advisers are now usually visitors to schools, booked for 1 or 2 days a week- to cover all students (Year 7-11). We focus mostly on Y11 college applications, often with up to 250 Y11 students.

  • As a result, students are often offered just one, 1:1 careers session during their 5 year school journey.

  • Sessions cover as much as possible in the 45 minutes- but one session is nowhere near enough….

  • With no follow up sessions, students are left to research and decide alone - or ask mums/dads/carers!

Teacher engaging students in a classroom, with students seated at desks raising their hands.

The Difference that Careers Tutoring offers

Private Careers Tutoring:

  • Personalised 1:1 Sessions: Each student receives dedicated time to explore all ideas and set goals.

  • Duration and Frequency: Sessions are one hour with as many sessions as needed.

  • In-Depth Discussions: Comprehensive discussions to help students understand themselves, including psychometric evaluations and detailed career planning.

  • Follow-up and Homework: Bespoke homework to encourage self-reflection, research and prioritization, with email support.

  • Continuous Support: Ongoing support to answer questions and provide guidance.

  • Outcome: Students are well-informed, confident, and empowered to make sound decisions about their futures.

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Why young people need good access to careers support:

  • One in three students enrolled in T Levels in 2021 dropped out before completing the qualification in 2023. Most of these students switched to a different level-3 qualification or sought an apprenticeship. (Source: Dept of Education, as featured in FE Week, July 2024)

  • NEET Rates: Currently, 11% of 16-24 year olds are not in employment, education, or training (NEET), equating to approximately 900,000 young people. (Source: Dept of Education and ONS, 2024)

  • University Dropout Rates: In the 2022-2023 academic year, 41,914 students withdrew from their university courses. (Source: Student Loans Company)