Open Letter to Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education
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The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP Secretary of State for Education Department for Education 20 Great Smith Street Westminster London, SW1P 3BT 6th July 2020 Dear Mr Williamson, This September, 800,000 young people will be leaving schools, colleges and universities, hoping to join the labour market. In addition, many young people that were due to head to university this year are considering withdrawing due to Covid-19. With 8.4 million people already furloughed and uncertain about their futures, it is likely that young people with little work experience behind them will face unprecedented struggles in the labour market. The quality of career education and guidance in schools and colleges has been improving in recent years. Nonetheless, Covid-19 and the lockdown add additional barriers to delivering career education and guidance in schools and other education settings. Meanwhile those young people who are not in education have very limited access to career guidance and career guidance services for adults are increasingly stretched. We are therefore calling on the Government to publicly commit to a Career Guidance Guarantee so that everyone aged 16-19 in an education setting, those leaving the education system, those who are already NEET, and adults who are unemployed, will have access to quality personal career guidance to help them move them on to further education destinations, employment or to additional training and apprenticeships. High quality career education and guidance, including the opportunity to speak one-to-one with a careers professional, is now more important than ever in preparing young people for the world of work, supporting adults to manage career transitions and better aligning careers aspirations with labour market demand. Between July and December, the UK will be facing an unprecedented period of turnover in its labour market. Young people will be leaving education and making key decisions about their futures just as the furlough scheme is coming to an end and redundancies are starting to take place, reducing opportunities. Meanwhile, widening participation places are being frozen across UK universities, meaning that the most disadvantaged young people who have been thrown off track by COVID-19, may have removed university as an option altogether. It is therefore crucial that all young people have access to personal career guidance to help them to access the opportunities available to them. Through a Career Guidance Guarantee we are asking the government to provide a short-term fund which would ensure that the relevant agencies, services and providers could take on additional careers professionals to engage with young people and deliver regular, timely support where necessary.1 This fund would allow those that need it most to access high quality personal career guidance, enabling them to make informed choices and make the most of the opportunities available to them. 1 A detailed proposal with costings is set out in https://www.thecdi.net/write/An_emergency_career_development_plan_to_maintain_productivity_and_progression_post-Covid-19_CDPG.pdf We need to act now to reach those most in need of support and guidance. A Career Guidance Guarantee is a critical step in a much needed joined-up approach. To be impactful it should be implemented alongside an extension of the catch-up provision to include 16-19 year olds and a commitment to create employment and training opportunity as part of an Opportunity Guarantee.2 We believe in a society where all citizens are supported to find the education, employment and training opportunities that are right for them. Where individuals can fulfil their own potential and realise their career aspirations, they will also be able to contribute to our national prosperity and the reconstruction of the country after Covid-19. This letter is supported by the following organisations Career Development Institute Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Save the Children UK Careers England Partnership Science Council Core Cities UK Institute for Employment Skills Builder Partnership CRAC Studies The 5% Club East Midlands Chamber Institute of Employability The Social Mobility Foundation Edge Foundation Professionals (IEP) UNISON Education Development Trust Institute of Student Employers WEA Employment Related Services International Centre for Youth Employment UK Association Guidance Studies Youth Futures Foundation Fair Education Alliance National Centre for Federation for Industry Sector Universities and Business +238 other organisations (see Skills and Standards Royal Society of Chemistry following pages) Yours sincerely Baroness Garden of Frognal, Member of the Lord Aberdare, Member of the House of Lords House of Lords, Liberal Democrat Education Lord Knight, Member of the House of Lords Spokesperson Lord Lucas, Member of the House of Lords Barry Sheerman MP Lord Storey, Member of the House of Lords, Clare Viney, CEO, Careers Research & Advisory Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Centre Professor Jenny Bimrose, Professor, Emeritus, Cllr Judith Blake CBE, Chair, Core Cities UK; Leader, Warwick Institute for Employment Research Leeds City Council Professor Tristram Hooley, Professor of Career Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, Director, DMH Associates, Education, University of Derby Associate Fellow, Institute for Employment Robert Halfon MP Research (IER), University of Warwick Sam Butters & Gina Cicerone, Co-CEOs, Fair Dr Robin Mellors-Bourne, Director of Research, Education Alliance CRAC Sarah Atkinson, Chief Executive, The Social Dr Siobhan Neary, Head of the International Mobility Foundation Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby Steve Stewart, formerly Executive Direction, Jan Ellis, Chief Executive , Career Development Careers England Institute Tony Wilson, Director, Institute for Employment Kieran Gordon, Executive Director, Careers Studies England Lauren Turner, Communication and Membership + 847 other signatories (see following pages) Management Manager, Fair Education Alliance 2 See https://www.communitiesthatwork.co.uk/opportunity-guarantee/ for further information. This letter is also supported by the following organisations… Act for Action and Tags Career Development Education Writing Services Action Tutoring College Envision Acute Hospital Career Directions Ltd. Essandore Care Adviza Career Guidance 4u ExpressionsByM CIC Alan Bullock Careers Career Guidance Charts Fairfield High School All Saints Academy Ltd. Ferryhill Business & Allen & Overy Career Matters Enterprise College AMJ Careers Career North Ltd. Fledglink Andy Fosterjohn Careers Career Practic Form the Future CIC Works Career Ready Forum Talent Potential CIC Ansbury Guidance Career Seekers Direct Ltd. Founders4Schools Apps for Good Career Thinking Future Frontiers Archbishop Beck Catholic Careermap Ltd. Future Thinkers Consulting College Career-roots GB Careers Archbishop Sentamu Careers Advice North West Glossopdale School Academy Ltd Gradcore Archway Careers Careers Enhanced Ltd Great Barr Academy Ark Charter Academy CareersUnlimited Greig City Academy AS Careers CareerWave Growth Company Ashley Stewart Ltd. CareerWorx GuruYou Barnet and Southgate Carmel College and Career Hambleton and College North Richmondshire PRS Beaumont Leys School Caterham High School Hartlepool College Big Change Cats Paw Global Hele’s School Birmingham Adult Causeway Education Hesketh James Ltd Education Service Chase Terrace Technology High Peak Geotechnical Bishop Milner Catholic College Highdown School and College Christ's School Sixth Form Centre Bishop's Stortford College City and Islington College Hope Academy Blackburn with Darwen CL Career Development Huntcliff School Borough Council Ltd. Ignite Careers bookcareers.com CoachBright Innovations for Learning Brimsham Green School Coulsdon Sixth Form Inspire Coaching Building Doors College IntoUniversity Calm Careers Cranbrook Education Ipswich High School Cambridgeshire & Campus Ivy Central Peterborough Combined Crescent Training JCoSS Authority CWR Consultancy Ltd Jill Collins Careers Canterbury Christ Church CXK Job Interviewology University Dart Careers Jobs for Nationals Caprimoon Careers Daventry Hill School Kate Nokes Youth Cardinal Heenan Catholic David Holloway Careers Coaching High School David Pusey Associates Keogh Consulting Services Cardinal Langley RC High Deyes High School Ltd. School DMH Associates Kettering Science Career Approaches Ltd. E4P Consultants Academy Career Connect EBP South King Edward VI Camphill EC Careers Ltd Boys Kingdown School Northumberland County Stuart Mitchell and Knole Academy Council Careers Guidance Company Limited Lansbury Bridge School Team Stubbin Wood School Larches High School Olwen Parkinson Careers Suffolk County Council launchyourcareer.com Open Awards Sunrise Career Guidance Leeds City Council Outstanding Careers Surf In2 Careers Limited Leighton Park School Owens Consulting (UK) Ltd Symmetry Coaching Ltd LevFearn Consultancy Owner of Bay Training Talent & Career Life’s Work Consulting Services TF Careers Network LifeWork Panjango TGIS Aviation Lindsey Carr Career PD Skills Management Ltd Consultant Peppy Pals The Boulevard Academy Lindsey Draper CV and Planning4change The British Training Board Employability Advice Portland Education LTD The Career Innovation Lisa Stone Careers and Positive Steps Company Coaching Ltd Power2 The Career Ladder LL Coaching Ltd. Priory Federation of The Careers Group (UCL) Long Road Sixth Form Academies The Careers Lady College Prospela.com The Deepings School Luminate Careers PSG Education and Career