Category: Employability

Graham Stuart MP: new figures on careers advice “should shame the Department for Education into action”

NEWS RELEASE
17 October 2013
 
Chairman of the Education Select Committee: new figures on careers advice “should shame the Department for Education into action”
 
The Chairman of the Education Select Committee, Graham Stuart MP, will use a speech in London today to say new figures regarding careers guidance in schools in England “should shame the Department for Education into action”.

 

New calculations reveal that more than 1.3 million pupils in years 9, 10 and 11 are currently in schools where they cannot be confident of receiving careers advice of the quality they need.
 
They also show how little funding the Department for Education is offering to support the new National Careers Service (NCS).   Last year, the Department spent just 0.008% of its total budget on funding the work of the NCS, which is currently doing excellent work helping adults to find employment.

 

In a speech at the Westminster Employment Forum, Graham Stuart will say:

 

“Careers guidance for young people is the elephant in Michael Gove’s red box. These figures should shame the DfE into action.

 

“At the moment, the potential of the National Careers Service to help our young people is largely going to waste.

 

“The stakes are high – both for young people and for the Government itself, whose reforms are undermined if there is no decent signposting within education and between education and the world of employment.”

 

Notes for Editors
 

1.      New calculations based on data from Ofsted and the House of Commons Library show that over 1.3 million pupils in years 9, 10 and 11 in England are currently in schools where they cannot be confident they will receive the careers advice they need.[1]

2.      A second new calculation based on figures from the Department for Education and the Skills Funding Agency shows that the DfE spent just 0.008% of its budget on funding the National Careers Service (NCS) in 2012/13.[2]

3.      In June, the CBI’s education and skills survey found that only 5% of businesses across the UK feel the careers advice available to young people is good enough.

4.      In the same month, the National Careers Council published a report calling for “a major culture change in the careers provision for young people…in order to help address the mismatch of skills shortages, and in particular high youth unemployment.”

5.      In January 2013, the Education Select Committee published a report, Careers guidance for young people: the impact of the new duty on schools, calling for a greater role for the NCS to support – and challenge – schools to deliver independent, impartial careers advice.

6.       Over the last twelve months, the National Careers Service has delivered 1.1 million face to face advice sessions with 650,000 adults.  76% of its adult customers reported progress in learning or work after six months, and 56% said the NCS was instrumental in helping them to achieve this.

7.      Graham Stuart is the Conservative MP for Beverley and Holderness.

 

FN [1] In September, Ofsted reported that only 20% of schools are effective in ensuring that all their students in Years 9, 10 and 11 receive the level of information, advice and guidance they need to support decision-making about their careers.  There were 1,668,815 pupils in years 9, 10 and 11 in England as at January 2013 (HC Library).

FN 2 The DfE spent £4.7 million on the NCS in 2012/13 (out of total departmental spending of just under £57 billion).  By contrast, the Business, Innovation and Skills department contributed over £84 million (with a focus on the NCS’ adult services).

 

ENDS

 

 

 

Simon Clarke
Education Adviser to Graham Stuart MP, Chairman of the Education Select Committee
House of Commons | London SW1A OAA |
Telephone: 020 7219 4848
Email: simonr.clarke@parliament.uk | www.grahamstuart.com

 

[1] In September, Ofsted reported that only 20% of schools are effective in ensuring that all their students in Years 9, 10 and 11 receive the level of information, advice and guidance they need to support decision-making about their careers.  There were 1,668,815 pupils in years 9, 10 and 11 in England as at January 2013 (HC Library).

[2] The DfE spent £4.7 million on the NCS in 2012/13 (out of total departmental spending of just under £57 billion).  By contrast, the Business, Innovation and Skills department contributed over £84 million (with a focus on the NCS’ adult services).

 

Of Boxing Binmen, Business Leaders and Brilliant Secretaries of State

Today, I attended a really excellent Teaching and Learning event, organised by CIty of Leicester School Improvement Service. Alistair Smith was in fine form with an opening address on expertise. Due to the good offices of my old and dear mate from teacher-training days, Chris Fallon, I was given an opportunity to officially “launch” theProgressive Awards… most apt, as the event was held at the National Space Centre!

I was also really privileged to be part of an expert panel that closed the event.

Estelle Morris, in my opinion, was one of the most respected SoS Education I think we have ever had. Why? Because she had taught! She knew and understood the challenges at the front line. She talked the language of the professional practitioner. She was an inspirational leader; she inspired good followership. Today, she spoke passionately about evidence-based practice… and, most importantly, the desparate need for evidence-based policy-making. Amen!

No less passionate in his views of education was Mike Kapur. He is one of these unstoppable executive dynamos with a social conscience who gives business and enterprise a good name. Not only involved in the leadership of the National Space Centre and the Leicester Sports Partnership Trust, he is also Chair of the CBI Enterprise forum. If his vision to get every business in the UK offering two week internships to school-age young people (note his choice of words…not work experience… internships), it would truly transform Careers Education for the good. I could talk to him about employability skills within the curriculum for hours… and probably will! (-:

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And finally, one of Leicester’s homegrown finest, Rendall Munroe, the “Boxing Binman”, ex-British, Commonwealth and European super-bantamweight champion, who challenged for world titles… and still has the hunger to train hard, train harder, and go for glory once more. But a more self-effacing champion you could hardly meet: he is as proud of his work with disadvantaged youngsters in Leicester, and the fact that he only missed one day sick in eight years as a binman, as he is about his successes in the ring. A remarkable man.

A really enjoyable, thought-provoking and affirmative day: when teachers are left to their own devices, learning can lift off! Well done to Leicester City School Improvement Team for putting the event together at such a great venue.