Every young person deserves the opportunity to enter the world of work with confidence and a clear sense of direction. Yet many students in England’s secondary schools face significant gaps in career readiness and awareness of the options available to them. According to The Careers & Enterprise Company and The Sutton Trust, more than 30 percent of Year 11 pupils do not feel confident about their next steps. By the end of Key Stage 4, around one in five students does not have a clear understanding of apprenticeships, a key route after school.
These challenges are made worse by inconsistent careers provision across schools. Even as schools make progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks, many students still miss out on personalised guidance at the moments that matter most. Without effective careers advice, young people risk making uninformed choices. This is reflected in national statistics showing that nearly one in eight young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), with the youth unemployment rate rising from 14.4% last year to 15.9%, according to the House of Commons.
Supporting Schools Through Tailored CIAG
Seetec’s Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) offer was launched in January 2025, with delivery beginning across 18 schools from September. These schools are located across the country, with clusters in London and the South East, Birmingham and the South West. They include a wide range of settings, from grammar schools to SEND and alternative provision.
Our approach is designed to complement each school’s existing careers programme and support them in meeting statutory requirements and the Gatsby Benchmarks. Each partnership is tailored, from short-term contracts to the delivery of a full school careers programme.
We provide:
- 1:1 careers guidance sessions to help students explore their skills, interests, and goals
- Group guidance and workshops on pathways, apprenticeships, and employability skills
- NEET prevention programmes for students at risk of disengagement
- Year 9 options talks and parent/carer engagement sessions such as coffee mornings and parents’ evenings
- SEND-specific support and tailored work encounters that make careers education accessible for all learners
In just the first three months of delivery, Seetec advisers have met with over 1,000 students for individual guidance sessions and supported another 1,000 through group sessions and workshops. Demand continues to grow, with new enquiries from schools every week. To meet this need, Seetec is developing a strategy to ensure a strong pipeline of qualified advisers.
The Impact
Our commitment to quality is already making a difference. Early feedback from schools highlights greater student confidence and progress against Gatsby Benchmarks, with advisers noting positive signs of increased engagement across cohorts.
Behind every number is a story of impact: a student discovering a new career path, a parent feeling reassured, or a teacher seeing renewed motivation in their classroom. Seetec’s CIAG offer helps young people leave school with the information, insight and confidence they need to move forward successfully.
Looking Ahead
Seetec will continue to grow its CIAG offer in 2026 and beyond, working closely with schools, local authorities and employers to prepare more young people for the changing world of work.
High-quality careers guidance is more than a requirement. It is an opportunity to empower students, strengthen school provision and build a confident, career-ready generation.
