East Durham College - Careers Guidance & Information, Advice and Guidance Policy

POLICY TITLE: Careers Guidance & Information, Advice and Guidance Policy 

DOCUMENT NUMBER: 4.5

GROUPING POLICY: Teaching, Learning & Assessment

AUTHOR/REVISOR/OWNER: Alistair Cummins-MacLeod supported by the Careers Leader & Careers Leadership Group 

DATE OF CURRENT VERSION: April 2025

REVIEW DATE: April 2027

This policy relates to all applicants, enrolled and former students at East Durham College whether part or full time. 

East Durham College is committed to providing high quality careers guidance and information, advice and guidance (IAG). The College is fully committed to ensuring that all learners acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage their learning and career progression.  

This policy aims to reflect the targets within the college’s overall strategic plan which will shape the direction of careers guidance ad IAG. This is a key element of our ambitious curriculum.

This policy responds to the quality agenda and requirements identified within:

• Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework (EIF, last update July 2023).
• The Department for Education’s Careers Strategy for England (published December 2017) and the statutory guidance for schools and colleges on careers guidance and access for education and training providers (last updated January 2023) incorporating the eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
• Gatsby’s Good Career Guidance – The Next 10 Years (published Nov 2024)
• The Careers & Enterprise Company Practical Gatsby Benchmark Toolkit, Compass and Tracker, plus other available resources to ensure the College’s careers guidance policy responds to its duties relating to Careers Guidance and IAG quality standards.
• The CDI Career Development Framework (published 2020) and Code of Ethics.

The purpose of this policy is to specify the College’s approach in developing learners’ understanding of career and progression routes and the level of preparation required for the workplace. The college’s role in supporting our learners’ ability to progress effectively within learning and the labour market and therefore underpinning social mobility and economic efficiency. 

The College and leadership team are committed to ensuring that all elements of the Matrix Quality Standards relating to IAG are adhered to, supporting the three-yearly college wide inspection process (4-day inspection; College last inspected Feb 2023) and the subsequent annual Continuous Improvement Checks (“CICs”) meetings. The College aims to action the inspection report recommendations, wherever possible, subject to facilities and budgets, and the College strives for continual improvement and development of IAG.

The College is committed to providing a world-class standard of careers and employability provision as is the vision laid down by the Gatsby Benchmarks. 

This policy acts in support of the College’s mission statement:   

Our Mission is to be a centre of learning excellence, providing an outstanding experience for all students, generating economic and social prosperity for the region we proudly serve. 

Comment 

East Durham College is committed to delivering careers guidance activities that: 

• Are responsive to the needs of all students.
• Motivate and inspire all users to enable them to consider all opportunities open to them.
• Are personal to them, impartial and unbiased.
• Help students gain the skills they need to make their career goals a reality, building on previous learning and experiences.
• Provide inclusive support that students need to be successful which recognise and promote equality and diversity.
• Engage and aid progression of SEND and Looked After Children (LAC) students.
• Meet and maintain all the eight Gatsby benchmarks.
• Help students access additional learning support they may need.

East Durham College aims to ensure all learners receive: 

•  Access to professional, impartial, unbiased and confidential 1:1 careers guidance with a Level 6 qualified advisor.
• Access to a Careers Education programme that makes learners better informed of progression, career and employment routes and current labour market intelligence (LMI is made available to users of the college website via embedded LMI widgets provided to the college due to a paid subscription to Careers Pathways, Float Design Ltd. In addition, the College has a paid subscription to EMSI (Lightcast Ltd) and includes EMSI data in the prospectus.
• Opportunity to improve employability skills and their understanding of and awareness of entrepreneurship and enterprise.
• Access to information about work, employment and apprenticeship opportunities.
• Support with evaluating information and developing analytical skills.
• Support and guidance with training, further and higher education routes.
• and, in line with the Gatsby Benchmarks careers guidance which includes:

1. A stable careers programme
2. Learning from career and labour market information
3. Addressing the needs of each young person
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers
5. Encounters with employers and employees
6. Experiences of workplaces
7. Encounters with further and higher education
8. Personal guidance 

All students - actual, former or potential - of East Durham College have a right to expect: 

• Friendly, professional IAG to support their study programme selection and to ensure the College delivers on its commitment of ‘Right Learner. Right Course’.
• Complete, accurate and up to date information on all learning programmes, via the College website, including accurate financial support information.
• An interview or information session to make sure the course(s) the potential learner has chosen meet their needs and progression aspirations.
• Students will be provided with advice and guidance that helps to raise achievement and promote equality of opportunity.
• Guidance will be delivered by appropriately trained careers guidance practitioners and members of curriculum and business support staff. This will be a continuous service encompassing pre-entry, enrolment, induction, on-programme, the ‘What Next’ process and following completion of a course.
• Readily available access to information relating to ALS, support welfare and college resources.
• All learners to have a personalised, planned programme of activities to help them choose pathways that are right for them and to be able to manage their life choices and work towards sustained employability throughout their lives.
• Full support throughout the periods of learning including, where appropriate, counselling, tutoring, access to social facilities and assistance when considering progression. 

All students will have access to the following services and facilities: 

Before applying for a course: 

• Complete, accurate and up to date information on all learning programmes, via the College website, including accurate financial support information.
• Advice and guidance on courses available, entry requirements, progression opportunities, LMI, fees.
• A specialist careers guidance interview.
• 1:1 tour of the College facilities.
• Access to the College Careers Programme via the website. 

When applying for admission to a course: 

• A specialist careers guidance interview with a L6 advisor.
• A study programme interview with the relevant curriculum staff.
• Opportunity to attend an open day, night, taster event where tours of the facilities are available.
• 1:1 tour of the College facilities by appointment. 

During enrolment/induction:  

• A specialist careers guidance interview with a L6 advisor.
• A study programme interview with the relevant curriculum staff.
• A planned individual programme of activity to help learners choose their pathway and progress towards their preferred career. 

During programme/What Next: 

• A co-ordinated programme of career development activities which allows us to meet and maintain all 8 Gatsby benchmarks, including:
• Support in the UCAS process and with job search activities (such as interview skills, CV writing and looking for work).
• Visits to employers, universities and in-college careers and/or HE Fayres.
• Talks from external speakers, such as employers and successful former students.
• Access to LMI, HE research tool (Career Pathway – see page 2) and careers-related resources on Canvas the College’s VLE.
• Group careers guidance activities.
• All students to have a one-to-one personal guidance interview with a college member of staff who is IAG trained (Level 2 to Level 7) by the end of their study programme.
• All students to have the opportunity for access to a one-to-one personal guidance interview with a College Level 6+ Careers Advisor.
• All Looked After Children to have access to termly one-to-one personal guidance interview with a College Level 6+ Careers Advisor.
• All careers interventions to be recorded and monitored using the appropriate college Management Information System.
• Careers information point and access to IT resources for research.
• A planned and robust ‘What Next’ process to ensure transition to the next step is in the best interest of the learner and will help them to progress towards their career goal.
• Learners are referred to other specialist advice as required, either within the college or to external agencies such as Jobcentre Plus, Durham Works other colleges and HE providers.
• Two progress review meetings, documented in ILPs, each academic year. 

Former students: 

• Free access to a specialist careers guidance interview and CV support by appointment.
• Free access to research HE and support with clearing and UCAS applications. 

Students’ Responsibilities 

• To be actively involved in, and take ownership of, their own progression planning and career development.
• To attend and be punctual for all planned tutorial, careers education and guidance activities.
• To work co-operatively with staff and fellow learners, respecting the views of others and the principles of equality and diversity. 

Staff Responsibilities 

The College’s Careers Leadership Group is made up of: 

• Carina Tomlinson, Jackie Lanagan, Lindsay Haggis from the College’s Leadership Group; Alistair Cummins-MacLeod, Matthew Reid, Lorna Jennings, Crystal Booth- Curtis from Student Services & Careers Advice Service; Curriculum Directors; Quality Director; Progression Coach Manager and Curriculum Director for the College's 14-16 provision.

Via this policy the group ensure the College: 

• Has a high quality and impartial Careers Guidance and Information, Advice and Guidance service that supports users to make well informed career choices;
• Meets the statutory guidance on providing impartial careers education and guidance;
• Meets the requirements for appropriate Quality Standards;
• Initiates, organises and evaluates College-wide activity and events to promote learning, work and progression to support students in exploring career choices;
• Manage all careers-related resources, including electronic ones;
• Manage all careers-related relationships with external agencies;
• Devise, support and evaluate delivery of the careers education elements of the tutorial programme; and
• Maintains clear communications with parents/carers of the careers guidance offer and builds that relationship. 
   
• All relevant staff to be aware of this policy.
• Staff have a responsibility to participate in relevant professional training and maintain an up to date awareness of appropriate resources that they and their students can make use of to support career decision making. Where appropriate, staff will also participate in adviser networks and appropriate training to maintain awareness of alternative education and training provision, locally and nationally.
• Staff are required to ensure provision of clear impartial careers guidance and  information, advice and guidance that is current and appropriate to the needs of the student or applicant ensuring learners make suitable, well-informed course/career choices.
• The College’s Careers Leader Manager will be trained at L6+, and Careers advisor(s) within the College’s Careers Service will also be L6 (or working toward it) - and all to stay up to date through continuous, relevant CPD to maintain knowledge of new developments in the careers guidance field and will provide a visible presence at all campuses.
• Curriculum and relevant support staff are aware of the College’s careers services, maintaining effective working links and make referrals where appropriate.
• Curriculum staff ensure learners are aware of the College’s careers services, tutorial and course-based support.
• Teaching and Learning staff will ensure that there is an appropriate combination of careers education, information, advice and guidance activities incorporated into students’ programmes of study in line with the Gatsby benchmarks. These will be appropriate to students’ needs, and include a range of activities including ‘Next Step’ discussions, work related activities and signposting to appropriate careers resources.
• Staff to build strong networks and follow a collaborative with colleagues and external partners.
• Programme Area Leaders are responsible for ensuring that all course information on the website is up-to-date and accurate as well as published printed materials.
• All staff providing careers education, information, advice and guidance have a responsibility to promote equality of opportunity, to be aware of confidentiality issues and deal sensitively with information disclosed by students. 

Governors & College Management Responsibilities: 

College Management will ensure that: 

•  All relevant staff are aware of this policy.
• There are sufficient qualified, experienced careers/IAG staff and budget for up to date resources and LMI tools.
• All staff have access to training, support and resources relating to careers that are appropriate to their role.
• All users are asked to contribute to the review, evaluation and continuous improvement of the service. 

Standards by which success of this policy can be evaluated are:

• Ofsted Inspection.
• The College SAR (Self Assessment Report).
• The College self-assesses on Compass against the Gatsby benchmarks.
• Learner voice feedback via online surveys and class reps.
• Quality Improvement Team observations rated as good or better, in relation to careers guidance in Teaching and Learning.
• Maintain college-wide matrix Standard accreditation for IAG.

Responsibility for implementing this policy: 

• Senior management and the Careers Leadership Group have overall responsibility for the implementation of this policy across the College.
• The Curriculum Directors and Curriculum Managers are responsible for overseeing the operation of this policy in curriculum areas.
• The Careers Leader manager, Careers Advisor(s), Progression Coaches, the Schools Liaison Team, Student Services and Curriculum staff are ALL responsible for the delivery of College’s Careers Guidance and IAG services. In addition, MIS and Marketing support the accuracy and updating of course information. 

Links with other organisations  

The College Careers Lead, Careers team and staff will work in partnership with other organisations, including schools, the Job Centre, National Careers Service, the North East Colleges Careers Hub, NECA, the Careers & Enterprise Company, Careers Professional Practice Group (PPG), Careers Leaders Network, the NEUCP Project, universities, other F.E. Providers and employers where they are providing advice about careers. 

Review 

• The Director of Student Experience, Engagement & Wellbeing and Careers Leadership Group are responsible for the periodic review of this Policy.
• The effectiveness of this policy will be monitored annually through the SAR and consultation with students and staff. 

Related Policies                

3.4 Equality Policy 

4.4 Admissions Policy 

DfE Careers guidance for colleges 

CEC Gatsby Benchmarks Toolkit 

CEC The SEND Gatsby Benchmarks Toolkit 

CEC Understanding the Role of the Careers Leader  

CEC Digital Tool Guidance 

EDC’s Careers Programme 

This document is issued and controlled by Quality & Standards and may only be modified by the designated group after proposed modifications have been accepted by the College Management Group. The latest version of the policy will be maintained on the College Extranet.

Please feedback to Quality & Standards any constructive suggestions on how any aspect of the policy may be clarified or improved.