Department for Work & Pensions and The Careers & Enterprise Company strengthen collaboration to support young people

• New agreement will bring the network of 44 place-based Careers Hubs and network of DWP Schools Advisers closer together and make it easier for schools and employers to access coordinated local support for young people.

• Partnership will support stronger identification of young people at risk of disengaging and connect them with employers and skills pathways before they become further removed from the labour market.

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) and The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), the national body for careers education, have agreed a new partnership to strengthen collaboration between their national and local networks supporting young people.

The agreement will see Careers Hubs and DWP Schools Advisers work more closely together, ensuring schools and colleges have access to streamlined careers, employment and labour market support.  

It will also align coordination between CEC and DWP in their work with employers, helping businesses better navigate the different opportunities available to support young people.

Under the agreement, CEC and DWP will work together to:

• Strengthen local ways of working between Careers Hubs and DWP Schools Advisers, with a focus on targeted support for young people at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET)
• Better coordinate employer outreach into schools to support more high-quality work experience for young people.
• Strengthen training and data sharing among DWP Schools Advisers and local teams to enable stronger awareness of and signposting to apprenticeships and other vocational and technical training and employment.

CEC's network of 44 Careers Hubs is a partnership with Mayoral Strategic Authorities and Local Authorities, supporting 96% of schools and colleges across England. DWP's Schools Advisers work with schools and colleges to provide labour market information, employer engagement and connections to DWP services and local partners.

With approximately one million young people currently not in education, shared and aligned support for employment or training is key in tackling youth unemployment. The DWP is focused on ensuring more young people have a clear route into education, training or work. The Prime Minister has also set out his priority to transform technical education from age 14–16 for all young people, creating clear pathways into further study, training and high-quality careers where they live.

This partnership will also support alignment with the DWP’s Youth Guarantee, backed by a £2.5billion investment to support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.

The Minister for Employment, Andrew Western MP said:

“Every young person should have the support they need to understand the opportunities open to them and take the right next step, whether that is into further education, training or work.

“Our partnership with The Careers & Enterprise Company will ensure that we can make support easier to access and help more young people find the path that is right for them.

“This builds on the work we are doing through our Youth Guarantee, backed by £2.5 billion investment, to ensure every young person has the chance to earn or learn.”

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: 

"We know how important it is for young people to access the right advice, opportunities and support, and this should start as early as possible to help them thrive in whatever career path they choose. Closer collaboration between the Careers Hubs and DWP’s network of School Advisers will mean that existing services can work together to make that support easier to navigate for young people, schools and employers.” 

John Yarham, Chief Executive of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said: 

“We are proud to be partnering with DWP at such a critical time for young people. With many young people struggling to transition from education to employment, there is a real opportunity to bring our networks and expertise together to reach those who need support earlier.

We look forward to working with DWP to help more young people move into fulfilling education, training and employment.”

Judy Gibbs, Head of Service Skills and Employability WCC, Worcestershire LEP Director of Skills  & Joint Programme Director Work and Health said: 

“This partnership is an important step in ensuring young people get the right support at the right time. By bringing schools, Careers Hubs, DWP School Advisers and employers closer together, we can create clearer pathways into education, training, apprenticeships and work, while reaching those at risk of disengaging earlier.

“Strong local partnerships are key to helping every young person develop the skills, confidence and connections they need to thrive.”