I work in careers: what do I need to know about the recent policy changes?

In May 2025, the Department for Education published an update to statutory guidance in relation to careers.

The guidance now incorporates the revised Gatsby Benchmarks, and all schools, colleges, and independent training providers were required to start embedding them into their careers programme from September 2025.

But what does this mean for you?

Kath Wyke, Quality Education and Training Consultant at Career Connect, explains what you need to do to implement the updates in your school or college context.

“This announcement is an important change, and it comes following the Gatsby Foundation’s research, that shows careers provision is most effective and beneficial when integrated into a wider curriculum.

“Research from the Careers and Enterprise Company also shows that high-quality careers education, advice, and guidance can result in higher attainment, engagement, and outcomes for students – particularly for those who come from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

“Well-developed evidence links a holistic and supportive careers curriculum with reduced levels of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) at post-16 and post-18 transition periods. We also know that schools and colleges with the highest quality careers provision are highlighted as being 8% less likely to become NEET, and this rate can reach up to 20% for disadvantaged schools.

“The government have clearly paid attention to all of this, and embedded Gatsby in their new careers statutory guidance.”

“High-quality careers provision is an essential part of the government’s missions to break down barriers to opportunity and to drive economic growth. Economic growth relies on individuals having the skills, ambitions, and opportunities they need to succeed in fulfilling careers, so that we can collectively meet skills gaps in priority sectors and improve national productivity.”

Department for Education updated guidance on careers, May 2025

How can you ensure your strategic careers planning supports this? 

“There is a lot in the statutory guidance, but there are four overarching elements that every updated careers policy needs,” says Kath.

As a Careers Leader, you will need to ensure your careers policy:

1. Complies with current legislation
2. Details resources and outlines the dedicated budget aligned with high-quality delivery
3. Ensures students are receiving high-quality, impartial, and independent advice about their career pathways
4. Refers to your Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy; addressing inequality and adopting an inclusive approach to SEND

“Speaking to an independent school careers consultant about what this looks like in practice is always a good idea.

“The policy changes might seem daunting, but with a guiding hand and easy-to-implement template, embedding your careers policy as part of the whole school approach can be done more easily than you may think.

“I’d also recommend you always go back to the source:

• The updated guidance document can be found on the GOV.UK website.
• Explore an overview of the changes to the Gatsby Benchmarks.
• The Careers and Enterprise Company have produced guidance for Middle Schools.

“Remember, you’re not alone in updating the policies; every school, college, and training provider will be updating their documents. And, if you’re working with someone like Career Connect., we have a community of best practice for you to learn from, lean on, and utilise for support.” says Kath.

How can Career Connect help you?

When you’re ready to start planning and implementing the changes, our team of experienced school and college careers advisers can provide support, consultancy, and expertise.

We can also help you highlight the importance of students’ career provision to education leaders – making embedding careers a whole-school activity.

Our model is based around collaboration; working closely with you and your pastoral and careers teams, to help enhance your careers delivery and strategic planning.

Just reach out to our team at [email protected] for an initial conversation. We will take the time to discuss your needs and help you plan next steps.