Insight briefing: Learner career readiness in 2024/25

Key findings at a glance

• 83% of learners in Year 11 have thought about which pathway might be right for them

• Learners show the strongest growth in Creativity (+12%pts) and Problem Solving (+6%pts) skills between Year 7 and 11

• Learners in Year 11 nearly twice as likely to understand apprenticeships compared to learners in Year 7 (almost on a par with A-levels [79% vs 83%])

• Over ¼ of responses came from Year 7 learners, showing an ongoing focus on early identification and intervention in careers education

What learners are telling us about how prepared they feel for the future

During the 2024/25 academic year, over 330,000 learners from 1,425 schools across 44 Careers Hubs completed the Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ), the largest dataset of its kind in England.

The scale of responses provides a national picture of how learners are developing the knowledge, skills and confidence to take their best next step. Using this data, we can provide Careers Hubs, schools and employers with a vast evidence base to understand where progress is being made and where support is still needed.

Three key themes from this year’s data

1. The case for starting early

Career readiness grows steadily as learners progress through school, but early intervention makes a lasting difference. Learners who begin exploring careers and essential skills in Key Stage 3 are more confident and better prepared for transitions.

The Government’s vision for a work experience guarantee, shaped by the equalex framework, hopes to embed earlier exposure to employers, with two weeks’ worth of work experience planned across Key Stages 3 and 4.

2. Aligning education with the labour market

Learner interests are increasingly aligned with priority sectors that underpin the UK’s Industrial Strategy, from Health to Engineering and Digital. However, essential skills development varies by pathway.

3. Closing the gaps for disadvantaged learners

Despite improved provision, disadvantage continues to shape confidence and opportunity. Learners who are eligible for Free School Meals score lower on all eight essential skills, and regional inequalities remain stark.

Evidence shows that where careers education is stronger, meeting more of the Gatsby Benchmarks, gaps narrow, transitions improve, and fewer learners become NEET. In 2024/25 alone, nearly 6,000 learners avoided NEET status, saving the Treasury an estimated £300 million annually.

Why it matters

This report represents the voices of hundreds of thousands of learners reflecting on their hopes, challenges and ambitions for the future. Their feedback is helping shape more equitable, targeted and effective careers support across the country.

As this year’s findings show, starting early, connecting learning with real-world opportunity, and targeting support for those who need it most are the foundations of a system that prepares learners for the future of work.

Sector profiles

By Year 11, learners show strong interest in key Industrial Strategy sectors and are making aligned subject choices. The sector profiles provide more detail essential skill development and pathway understanding for learners interested in these key sectors:

• Construction
• Creative industries
• Digital
• Engineering
• Health

 

FSQ Insight Briefing Data Tables.

If you have any questions, please contact: research@careersandenterprise.co.uk. 

This report is part of the CEC’s Student career readiness series. In line with the Department for Education’s (DfE) Statutory Guidance (May 2025), we are adopting the term “learner” instead of “student”. This guidance notes that the word ‘learner’ refers to pupils, students, learners and young people.