Careers Strategy & Ofsted

Your Careers Strategy 

Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework has been updated to reflect the fact that inspectors consider careers provision as part of the ‘personal development’ judgement. Within these statutory requirements and expectations, it is outlined that every school and college should have an Enterprise Adviser and a Careers-Link Governor.

Enterprise Adviser 

Supported and trained by the Careers Hub and Careers & Enterprise Company, your Enterprise Adviser is an industry volunteer and advocate for the school who works closely with your Careers Leader to:

• Support the development of a strategic careers plan linked with wider school.
• Provide access to their business network and help establish and develop mutually beneficial partnerships with employers to support activities such as careers talks, mock interviews, enterprise events and work experience.
• Help your school to evaluate its careers delivery, spot gaps in provision and identify the most effective activities to motivate young people and support positive outcomes.
• Provide a valuable employer perspective, assisting the school to provide opportunities for students through which they can gain skills that employers want in their employees.

Careers Link Governor 

Your Careers-Link Governor is member of the governing board who takes a strategic interest in careers education and guidance and encourages employer engagement, becoming the boards specialist in this area. This is explained on page 13 of DfE’s Careers Guidance & Access for Training Providers (2021).

A Careers-Link Governor should set up regular meetings with the Careers Leader so that they can monitor careers provision and act as a link between governors and staff, regularly reporting to the board on matters such as:

• How careers guidance links to the school improvement/development plan and contributes to student learning.
• How partnerships/conversations with local businesses are progressing (e.g. regarding what skills employers are looking for, work experience opportunities, employer encounters).
• The range of education and training providers who’ve had the chance to talk to.
• The impact of your school’s careers programme, and activities.

The new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework

The OEIF was published in September 2019 sets out Ofsted’s inspection principles and the main judgements that inspectors make. Careers education is very clearly identified as a key element of the personal development of young people. We have summarised some useful questions taken from the CEC’s useful guide to support schools to meet their obligations in the document download below.