Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) quality of careers advice in secondary schools.

Schools and colleges are developing careers programmes for young people against the Gatsby Benchmarks, a clear set of standards for good careers guidance.

Overseen by the Careers and Enterprise Company, a national network of 44 careers hubs delivers careers support to 95% of secondary schools and colleges. The hubs connect careers provision to the needs of local economies and leverage support from employers, through strategic partnerships with strategic and local authorities.

Evidence shows that young people in schools and colleges achieving all eight Gatsby Benchmarks are 8% less likely to not be in education, employment or training. However, only 25% of schools and colleges fully achieve all benchmarks, so there is much more to do to.

To address this, the government has embedded updated Gatsby Benchmarks into statutory guidance, for implementation from September 2025. Evidence-based improvements to the benchmarks ensure a world-class framework that will lead to better outcomes for young people.

To boost work readiness, the government is also committed to ensuring every young person receives two weeks of work experience over the course of their secondary education. The goal is to ensure work experience builds up over time and focuses on growth sectors, such as advanced manufacturing and life sciences.