This one day online conference will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to examine the provision of careers education, information, advice and guidance in England.

It follows the announcement of a new careers guidance scheme for primary school pupils from the DfE, as well as new statutory requirements on pupil engagement with technical education routes set out in the Skills and Post-16 Education Act.

In addition, the conference also takes place in light of the recent Ready for the future report from the Careers & Enterprise Company, which looks at the progress and impact of careers education over the last 12 months and suggests that a consensus is emerging of what good careers provision looks like.

It will be an opportunity to discuss how best practice highlighted in Ready for the future can be built upon, as well as key issues with the provision of careers advice and guidance in schools including supporting schools to meet the Gatsby Benchmarks, along with what is needed from schools and partners to effectively implement the new primary school careers programme.

Delegates will also examine the role of careers guidance in reducing youth unemployment, and how careers education can be harnessed to promote equality of opportunity and contribute to Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda.

Overall, sessions in the agenda include discussion on:
• careers education in schools:
◦ funding requirements and building capacity for improved services
◦ integrating advice and guidance into the curriculum
◦ promoting employer engagement
◦ what is needed from pedagogy and employers to effectively maintain young people’s increasing awareness of technical routes and options
◦ priorities for teacher training and promoting consistency of provision across schools and regions
◦ how to address challenges that schools have faced in meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks
◦ lessons learnt from the rollout of Careers Hubs
• primary careers programme: next steps for implementation - aligning with secondary careers programmes
• funding: assessing priorities and options for tackling financial challenges - addressing regional differences - identifying where funding is most needed to improve student outcomes
• delivering for pupils:
◦ overcoming barriers to providing effective personalised support for students
◦ tackling inequalities in quality and access to digital technology - exploring new methods of access and engagement for both pupils and carers
◦ tailoring support to those from disadvantaged backgrounds and for students with SEND
• social mobility: the role of careers guidance in helping develop equality of opportunity and regeneration in the most disadvantaged areas
• quality and standards: priorities for inspection and accountability - the role of Ofsted - engaging external partners, employers and charities to promote quality, train staff and supplement careers offers
• joining up the careers system:
◦ developing partnerships and connections between the careers system, learners, employers and local authorities
◦ integrating local economic strategies and careers guidance, and aligning with national priorities
◦ tailoring guidance to local needs, skills gaps, growth industries and employment opportunities
• success and performance: what is needed from data collection, metrics and success criteria to effectively monitor and evaluate the success of careers programmes and strategies.