CDI champions National Careers Week 2025

A Chance to Celebrate the Transformative Power of Career Guidance – for individuals, the economy and society.

The Career Development Institute (CDI) welcomes National Careers Week (NCW) 2025 as a vital opportunity to highlight the life-changing impact of career guidance on individuals and the economy.  

National Careers Week inspires young people across the UK and the careers professionals who support them – and this is even more important in the wake of the CDI’s Valuing Careers research published in December 2024 as part of the Valuing Careers campaign, which unveiled systemic barriers to accessing career guidance, despite proven significant benefits for those who do access professional support. 

David Morgan, Chief Executive of the CDI, said:  

“National Careers Week holds a spotlight to the power of career guidance and how it opens up possibilities and aspirations for people. Our research has outlined that career guidance is a powerful tool for unlocking potential – not just for young people but for individuals at every stage of life.  

“We urge policymakers, educators and employers to recognise the broader benefits of professional career guidance in creating a more adaptable and resilient workforce. One way of doing this would be to create a Career Guidance Guarantee giving everyone access to lifelong career guidance, which would let them define their values, skills, and aspirations and to map these against the kaleidoscope of career opportunities and skills gaps that exist.” 

According to the CDI’s Valuing Careers research, which surveyed 5004 UK adults, 90% of UK adults would benefit from career guidance, yet only 10% seek it after leaving education. 

Key findings from the CDI’s Valuing Careers research include: 

• People who feel positive about their careers are twice as likely to feel positive about life overall. 
• More than one-quarter of UK adults urgently need career support but face barriers such as low confidence and limited awareness of available services. 
• Eight in 10 people have aspirations they want to achieve, but just as many encounter obstacles in reaching them. 

“While National Careers Week focuses on young people, the CDI’s Valuing Careers campaign highlights that career guidance must extend beyond schools to support adults navigating an increasingly complex job market. By tackling systemic barriers and raising awareness about available services, we can unlock enormous potential—not just for individuals but for society as a whole,” added Mr Morgan.  

The CDI’s Valuing Careers campaign proposes four key steps to maximize the impact of career guidance: 

• Embed lifelong career thinking in education. 
• Raise awareness of career guidance for adults. 
• Tackle systemic barriers to fulfilling careers. 
• Build evidence on what works in career development interventions.