Careers guidance for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds ‘variable’ – new report

2 Apr 2025 01:52 PM

Careers guidance for post-16 students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can vary in quality, a new report from Ofsted has found.

Ofsted was commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to carry out a study on the quality of careers guidance that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds receive from further education (FE) providers.

Most FE students spoken to for the research were very positive about the careers guidance they received and spoke of being more confident and resilient as a result.

However, Ofsted also found that understanding and knowledge-sharing of students’ backgrounds were variable. College leaders reported that challenges collaborating with feeder schools were leading to some students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds having to self-refer to support services, with many missing out on tailored careers guidance.

Today’s report also found that:

• all the colleges visited were offering at least generic careers guidance that covered their disadvantaged students
• the strongest careers guidance for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds integrated curriculum and employer needs into an overarching strategy
• colleges are experiencing difficulties in recruiting and retaining experienced careers advisers, which is affecting the quality of careers guidance
• traditional work placements remain challenging to implement, but other models of employer engagement are filling the gaps
• despite the challenges, students valued the careers guidance they had received

To improve careers guidance for this group, the report recommends that FEproviders have better definitions and guidance to help them identify students who are in need of extra support.

The report also recommends that:

• further study is needed on what types of careers interventions work best for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds
• schools and colleges need to improve their collaboration to aid the transition to post-16
• further evaluation should be carried out into the benefits of work placements versus more flexible engagements with employers

Lee Owston HMI, Ofsted’s National Director for Education, said:

We know how beneficial careers guidance is for all students, particularly those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who may need more support to achieve their career aspirations. It’s reassuring to hear that, despite the challenges, students were very positive about the guidance they received post-16.

I hope this research is helpful to policymakers and further education providers, as they improve the careers guidance they offer to students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

To conduct the study, Ofsted carried out research visits to 3 secondary schools, 19 general FE colleges and 6 sixth-form colleges during the summer 2024 term. The research also included interviews with 7 local authorities, 2 focus groups with employers, and a survey of parents from the schools and colleges visited.