Sep 54 min read

Starting Strong: A Guide for New Careers Leaders

Welcome to your new role as a Careers Leader! Embarking on this journey is both exciting and challenging, as you play a crucial role in shaping the futures of young people and ensuring your careers programme meets their needs (as well as meeting all the required frameworks and of course, the expectations of your SLT and Ofsted!).

To ensure you hit the ground running, it’s essential to understand key frameworks and benchmarks, conduct a thorough audit of existing provisions, and align your strategies to meet the diverse needs of students.

Understanding the Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks set the standard for the development of your careers programme. Developed to improve the quality of careers education, they provide a clear framework for delivering outstanding career services. Here’s a brief overview:

A Stable Careers Programme: Ensure a structured and well-publicised careers programme.
Learning from Career and Labour Market Information: Provide students with the information they need to make informed decisions.
Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil: Tailor guidance to the individual needs of each student.
Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers: Integrate career education with curriculum subjects.
Encounters with Employers and Employees: Offer students multiple opportunities to engage with employers.
Experiences of Workplaces: Provide firsthand work experience opportunities.
Encounters with Further and Higher Education: Ensure students understand all their educational and training options.
Personal Guidance: Provide each student with tailored career guidance.

Familiarise yourself with these benchmarks and review your previous compass+ reports to see which benchmarks your school currently meets. If you’re part of a Careers Hub, you are required to complete a termly compass+ report to continually track your progress throughout the year.

The CDI Framework

The Career Development Institute (CDI) framework is another critical tool. It sets out the skills, knowledge, and attributes young people need to manage their career paths effectively. The framework covers:

Self-development: Helping students understand themselves and the influences on them.
Career exploration: Equipping students to investigate opportunities in learning and work.
Career management: Supporting students in developing the skills to manage their career pathways.

Integrating the CDI framework into your practice will help you provide a holistic career education that equips students for life beyond school.

Conducting an Audit

Before implementing new strategies, it's essential to understand what is already in place. Conducting a thorough audit of your current career provision will provide a clear picture of strengths and areas for improvement. Here’s how to go about it:

Review Existing Programmes: Examine the current careers programme. Are there gaps in provision? How well does it align with the Gatsby Benchmarks and CDI framework? There is a free audit tool on The Careers Circle File Share that you can utilise for this. The audit also suggests that Heads of Departments nominate a Careers Champion within their department. This creates a network of supportive colleagues in each department that can support you in your role.
Gather Feedback: As well as getting your Heads of Department to complete an audit, also collect feedback from students, parents, and employers. Their insights will help you understand what is working well and what needs to be improved. If you run a student voice style survey in your school, see if you can complete a careers related one to see what students think of your current programme.
Evaluate Resources: Assess the resources available, including staff, budget, and materials. Determine whether additional resources are needed to enhance the careers programme (cheeky plug: you can see all The Careers People resources here).
Analyse Data: Look at data on student outcomes, such as destinations after school, engagement with careers activities, and feedback on guidance sessions. This can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your current provision.

Making Informed Changes

Armed with the information from your audit, you can start making informed changes. Here are some steps to consider:

Set Clear Goals: Based on your audit, set specific, measurable goals for improving your careers provision.
Develop a Plan: Create a detailed plan outlining the steps needed to achieve your goals. Include timelines, responsibilities, and required resources.
Engage Stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders, such as senior leadership, teachers, employers, and students, in your planning process. Their support and input are crucial for successful implementation.
Continuous Improvement: Establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating your careers provision. Continuous improvement ensures that you remain responsive to changing needs and new opportunities.

We are currently working on building a Careers Leader Strategic Training programme which will help you to outline your current Careers Programme and build a three year plan for improvement. You can register your interest here.

Meeting the Needs of your Students

Your primary goal is to meet the needs of your students. Once you know your programme is meeting the needs of a student with no barriers, you should then begin to consider what barriers students in your schools face and adapt your careers programme to suit them. This includes students in care, young carers, SEND students, students with a disability, neurodiverse students, EAL students etc etc. Understanding their aspirations, backgrounds, and challenges is crucial. Here are some strategies:

Personalised Guidance: Tailor your approach to the unique needs of each student. Use one-on-one sessions to delve into their interests, strengths, and aspirations.
Inclusive Practices: Ensure that your services are accessible to all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Adapt your resources and strategies to cater to diverse needs.
Engaging Resources: Use a variety of resources and methods to keep students engaged. Interactive tools, career fairs, guest speakers, and work experience placements can make career education more dynamic and relevant.

Conclusion

Starting a new role as a Career Leader is a significant responsibility, but with the right approach, you can make a profound impact. I really do see it as an honour to be in a role that can positively impact so many young people’s lives. By understanding and utilising the Gatsby Benchmarks and CDI framework, conducting a thorough audit, and focusing on meeting the diverse needs of students, you will be well-equipped to provide outstanding career guidance. Remember, the key to success is a commitment to continuous improvement and a genuine passion for helping young people achieve their full potential. You’ve got this!

If you need support, please join The Careers Circle. I lead the “New to Role” circle and will answer any questions you have. This is a free online community for all Careers Professionals.

Starting Strong: A Guide for New Careers Leaders

To ensure you hit the ground running, it’s essential to understand key frameworks and benchmarks, conduct a thorough audit of existing provisions, and align your strategies to meet the diverse needs of students.

Understanding the Gatsby Benchmarks

The Gatsby Benchmarks set the standard for the development of your careers programme. Developed to improve the quality of careers education, they provide a clear framework for delivering outstanding career services. Here’s a brief overview:

A Stable Careers Programme: Ensure a structured and well-publicised careers programme.

Learning from Career and Labour Market Information: Provide students with the information they need to make informed decisions.

Addressing the Needs of Each Pupil: Tailor guidance to the individual needs of each student.

Linking Curriculum Learning to Careers: Integrate career education with curriculum subjects.

Encounters with Employers and Employees: Offer students multiple opportunities to engage with employers.

Experiences of Workplaces: Provide firsthand work experience opportunities.

Encounters with Further and Higher Education: Ensure students understand all their educational and training options.

Personal Guidance: Provide each student with tailored career guidance.

Familiarise yourself with these benchmarks and review your previous compass+ reports to see which benchmarks your school currently meets. If you’re part of a Careers Hub, you are required to complete a termly compass+ report to continually track your progress throughout the year.

The CDI Framework

The Career Development Institute (CDI) framework is another critical tool. It sets out the skills, knowledge, and attributes young people need to manage their career paths effectively. The framework covers:

Self-development: Helping students understand themselves and the influences on them.

Career exploration: Equipping students to investigate opportunities in learning and work.

Career management: Supporting students in developing the skills to manage their career pathways.

Integrating the CDI framework into your practice will help you provide a holistic career education that equips students for life beyond school.

Conducting an Audit

Before implementing new strategies, it's essential to understand what is already in place. Conducting a thorough audit of your current career provision will provide a clear picture of strengths and areas for improvement. Here’s how to go about it:

Evaluate Resources: Assess the resources available, including staff, budget, and materials. Determine whether additional resources are needed to enhance the careers programme (cheeky plug: you can see all The Careers People resources here).

Analyse Data: Look at data on student outcomes, such as destinations after school, engagement with careers activities, and feedback on guidance sessions. This can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your current provision.

Making Informed Changes

Armed with the information from your audit, you can start making informed changes. Here are some steps to consider:

Set Clear Goals: Based on your audit, set specific, measurable goals for improving your careers provision.

Develop a Plan: Create a detailed plan outlining the steps needed to achieve your goals. Include timelines, responsibilities, and required resources.

Engage Stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders, such as senior leadership, teachers, employers, and students, in your planning process. Their support and input are crucial for successful implementation.

Continuous Improvement: Establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating your careers provision. Continuous improvement ensures that you remain responsive to changing needs and new opportunities.

We are currently working on building a Careers Leader Strategic Training programme which will help you to outline your current Careers Programme and build a three year plan for improvement. You can register your interest here.

Meeting the Needs of your Students

Personalised Guidance: Tailor your approach to the unique needs of each student. Use one-on-one sessions to delve into their interests, strengths, and aspirations.

Inclusive Practices: Ensure that your services are accessible to all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Adapt your resources and strategies to cater to diverse needs.

Engaging Resources: Use a variety of resources and methods to keep students engaged. Interactive tools, career fairs, guest speakers, and work experience placements can make career education more dynamic and relevant.

Conclusion

If you need support, please join The Careers Circle. I lead the “New to Role” circle and will answer any questions you have. This is a free online community for all Careers Professionals.

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