Remit Letter

Annex 1 - Priorities to be considered in the operational plan for 2022-2023

Early Years Interventions

Whilst I recognise that the work in primary schools cannot be extended to face to face delivery, I welcome the intention to begin supporting schools and pupils earlier by introducing new careers education initiatives for primary schools. I would like to see detailed within your 2022-2023 operational plan this year particular how you intend to:

• Virtual CWRE Weeks Parents: introduction to Careers Wales
• Blended professional learning for teachers and resources

The Curriculum in Wales

The Curriculum for Wales aims to enthuse children and young people about learning. The four purposes of the curriculum sits at the heart our aspirations for every young learner in Wales. Careers and Work Related Experiences (CWRE) has been given a real focus within the curriculum and there is a need for schools to plan their curriculum to allow learners greater access to information on career paths – and work-related experiences.

I welcome your work in developing a new toolkit to support schools in delivering CWRE across schools. Within the 2022-2023 operational plan, I wish to see an outline of how you will be supporting schools to design their curriculum with CWRE embedded across the six Areas of Learning and Experience. Providing real and meaningful opportunities for learners to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in preparation for the challenges and opportunities of further learning and the ever-evolving world of work.

Renew and Reform

The Welsh Government published the Renew and Reform plan in June 2021, setting out our priorities and plan to support learners’ wellbeing and progression in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan set out the framework and the funding available to enable us to work together with our partners and stakeholders to support learners and practitioners in response to the pandemic. I would expect to see Careers Wales working closely with education providers to ensure young people are not left behind as a result of the pandemic.

Additional Learning Needs

As you are aware the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (“the Act”) creates a single legislative system for supporting children and young people aged between 0 to 25 years who have additional learning needs (“ALN”).

The new ALN system has now started its implementation phase for some cohorts of compulsory school age learners. Whilst the arrangements for post-16 learners are being settled, I ask you to continue to work with officials and key stakeholders to ensure that the transition from the current system runs smoothly and that you continue to offer young people and their families’ appropriate support.

Until the new measures are fully in place, I ask that Careers Wales continues to provide support to learners identified as having Special Educational Needs across all Key Stages. I also ask that Careers Wales continue to provide support to learners with Learning difficulties and or disabilities (LDD) needs under section 140 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, by continuing to produce Learning and Skills Plans and applications for specialist further education provision for eligible learners who are not yet being supported by the ALN Act.

In some cases, such as the move to further education or independent living, successful planning may need to start at least two years in advance of the transition. In these situations, the support of careers advisers may be particularly valuable for the child or young person making the transition and I ask that Careers Wales continues to provide enhanced transition support to those whose needs you judge to warrant additional support.

Home Educated Learners

Careers Wales will work closely with Local Authorities to ensure that every home educated child and young person is afforded the opportunity to receive careers advice and guidance which will allow them to access a range of informal and accredited learning opportunities to enhance their learning and well-being.

Careers Wales will work jointly and collaboratively with Youth Services and Careers Advisers to ensure that all young people who fall within the remit of The Social Services and Well Being (Wales) 2014 Act are fully aware of the options and entitlements available to them. The career planning support will help young people recognise the relevance of their studies to their future career and life chances, and will encourage them to reflect regularly on their skills, strengths and aspirations. Therefore Careers Wales should actively engage in the pathway review process.

Pupil data

I expect you to make proactive use of customer data, whether received from partners or derived from your new Atlas database, to inform and direct your support for customers and to help measure the impact of your support.

The data you provide to partners and stakeholders has the potential to inform evidence-based decision-making by policy-makers at a national and regional level and I wish to see the potential for Careers Wales to serve as a ’data hub’ for careers related matters developed further.

Successful Transitions

Whilst this last year has been a challenging year for many, evidence shows young people are being disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Their education, employment and training opportunities have changed dramatically, and this will have an impact on their short and long-term prospects. I expect to see Careers Wales supporting young people to:

• Move into a sustained positive destination when they leave education (linked to the organisation’s continued role in delivering the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework and Young Persons Guarantee)
• Be supported at key transition points to make informed decisions
• Be aware of the opportunities available to them
• Transition smoothly from compulsory to post-compulsory education with the appropriate and impartial information, support and guidance they need

Within the Careers Wales operational plan, I wish to see how you will target those who will need intensive support and those disadvantaged groups likely to struggle with making successful transition. In line with our expectations outlined within Education in Wales: Our National Mission, I expect to see Careers Wales providing young people with high-quality, independent careers information , advice and guidance to help them make sound learning choices, develop their career management competencies and succeed in the world of work.

Supporting those Not in Education Employment and Training (NEET) between the ages of 16-18.

I expect to see you continue to support customers in Tier 3 who are at highest risk of becoming NEET or those who are struggling to make successful transitions between learning activities or between learning and work. I also ask you continue to work with local authorities to monitor and report on pupil destinations and work with CTER once established to share data. I ask to be kept informed regarding any barriers in relation to receipt of data which hinders your ability to deliver your public task.

Post Compulsory Education and Training (PCET) reform

The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Bill was introduced in November 2021. Once enacted, it will establish a Commission for Tertiary Education and Research (CTER), a single national steward of Wales’s tertiary education and research sector. We expect Careers Wales to participate fully with CTER implementation arrangements during 2022-2023 via your participation and action on the CTER stakeholder group.

Co-ordinate Education and Employer links

I ask Careers Wales to continue to work with education partners to develop effective approaches to employer engagement activity. Schools’ curricula should enable learners to gain experiences related to work and careers, developing knowledge of the breadth of opportunities available to them throughout their lives. Collaboration with individuals and employers will also provide learners with opportunities to learn about work, employment and the skills valued in the workplace.

Learners can use the knowledge and skills gained from taking part in work-related experiences to develop successful enterprise activities. These can provide an authentic learning experience which helps them develop as enterprising, creative contributors, forming links with the world of work and raising their aspirations.

I also ask Careers Wales to build on links with employers and local businesses, and support the enabling of employers to engage directly with schools and learners in schools. This is particularly crucial to the realisation of the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, and to ensure learners develop the skills, knowledge and experiences required for their future work and careers, across current sectors, and in new and future innovative employment opportunities.

Therefore, I would like to see Careers Wales’ Operational Plan outline how you plan on engaging with employers and support the development of strong links with learning, to support this aim of the Curriculum for Wales. I would also ask that Careers Wales look at opportunities for collaboration with partners to avoid duplication and provide consistent approaches to employer engagement from initiatives funded under the Tech Valley’s projects and shared prosperity funds and the City Region deals.

Youth Entrepreneurships

Within the Economic Action plan, there is a commitment to developing an entrepreneurial culture in Wales and supporting young people into self-employment as part of the Young Person’s Guarantee. This commitment requires an improved collaboration between stakeholders from academia, Government, entrepreneurs, finance and corporates. I, therefore, expect your operational plan to clearly identify how you will work with Big Ideas Wales, part of Business Wales, utilise employer engagement and other events to support young people to understand the wide range of opportunities that they can move into in the future.

Welsh Language

I expect Careers Wales to respond and contribute to the Welsh Government’s aim of achieving a million Welsh speakers by 2050 across its functions, as well as supporting the delivery of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s Further Education and Apprenticeship Welsh-medium Action Plan.