NEW! Careers for Londoners Action Plan

The Careers for Londoners Action Plan which City Hall published this morning to coincide with the Mayor of London’s visit to the Excel Centre to open the ‘Skills London’ careers and jobs fair is now available – https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/business-and-economy/skills-and-training/careers-information-advice-and-guidance

Developed in collaboration with schools, colleges and training providers, employers, unions, universities and London boroughs, the action plan sets out:

• The Mayor’s vision for careers provision in London
• What City Hall will do to help realise this vision
• The vital role that other organisations – including employers, schools, colleges and universities, but also government – must play

The Mayor’s vision

In ‘Skills for Londoners’, the Mayor set out a plan for creating the most prosperous and inclusive skills system in the world – a system tailored to the diverse needs of London’s businesses and its population.

Some headlines include:

The Mayor will call on government to:

 reverse the recent cuts to the National Careers Service budget and restore funding for adult careers support in London back to 2013/14 levels.

 devolve funding for adult careers to London government, starting with the budget for the area-based National Careers Service contract for London

 come forward immediately with plans for the replacement of in-custody careers provision to replace the National Careers Service provision that was not renewed in early 2018

The Mayor will call on employers in London to:

 work with schools and colleges to provide insights into the world of work

 offer work experience and/or taster days  offer career planning and management support to their own employees.

Employers wanting to do more in this area should also consider:

 encouraging senior staff to support schools and colleges to improve their careers provision and employer engagement by volunteering as Enterprise Advisers or as governors of schools and colleges

 offering supported internships for young people with special educational needs and disabilities

 offering extended work placements to young people in London undertaking T-Levels

The Mayor will call on London higher education institutions to:

 offer their alumni ongoing access to university careers services

 offer targeted careers support on departure students who drop out of higher education (8.3 per cent in 2015/16)

The Mayor will call on schools and colleges to:

 work towards meeting the 8 Gatsby Benchmarks by 2020

 sign up to receive support from the London Enterprise Adviser Network

 ensure that they have a governor with oversight of how the organisation is supporting students to relate their learning to careers and the world of work

 ensure careers advice and guidance is given its due importance and priority – including in the messages given to staff and the amount of time and resource they make available to meet the new careers requirements.

Enhancing the careers support available to London schools and colleges

 tripling the size of the London Enterprise Adviser Network so that strategic advice and support from a senior business volunteer is available to all state secondary schools and colleges in the London LEP area. This builds on a longstanding volunteer programme across London.

 providing enhanced support for schools and pupil groups with the highest levels of need through investing £4m of ESF funds to support more Careers Clusters, which bring groups of schools and colleges together with businesses to develop employer focused activities. This builds on the earlier success of Careers Clusters as part of London Ambitions.

 continuing to fund, and further develop, initiatives designed to support teachers and parents of primary school-aged children to engage with the world of work and their future careers, including through RE:CODE London, and the London Curriculum Family Explorer trails. The uses innovative ways to engage parents and families in career explorer activities.

 looking to enhance the training and continuing professional development available to Careers Leads and Careers Advisers in London schools. This builds on existing arrangements ‘plugging the gap’ where it’s needed most.

There is much to discuss and commend in this 2018 Action Plan. https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/careers_for_londoners_action_plan.pdf

Keen to hear your views!