Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-03-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, at what age it is her policy that schools should start providing pupils with careers advice.

Mr Sam Gyimah

The government wants to see improvements to the extent and quality of the careers advice, guidance and inspiration that young people receive throughout their education, helping them to be better prepared for the world of work and able to take advantage of the opportunities available to them.

Getting the chance to meet a wide range of people doing different jobs is particularly important for those children from disadvantaged backgrounds who have few successful role models, either at home or in their local communities. Tackling gender stereotypes needs to be done from an early age.

The duty to secure independent careers guidance applies to pupils in years 8-13, but the government recognises the importance of exposing pupils to the world of work form an early age. That is why the government welcomes programmes, such as Primary Futures, that help to broaden the aspirations of young people from an early age. Primary Futures is a national initiative, led by the Education and Employers Taskforce and the National Association of Head Teachers, which enables volunteers from a wide range of professions to visit primary schools to inspire pupils.