Reframing Careers Guidance: What the 2025 Changes Mean for ITPs and the Skills Sector

Earlier this month, the government announced that independent training providers would be expected to follow the Gatsby Benchmarks for the first time. It is clear that the Department for Education’s new guidance signals more than a policy update, it redefines how careers education should be delivered and measured. Though legally focused on schools and colleges, the message is clear: all post-16 providers, including ITPs, FE colleges, universities, and employer-led trainers, are expected to align with the updated expectations to deliver high-quality careers provision.

What’s new in the 2025 guidance?

While not mandatory, ITPs are urged to align with the Gatsby Benchmarks and Careers Impact Maturity Model to raise standards. Many providers will already be doing this and welcome this as an opportunity to bring greater clarity and extend the sharing of best practice further.

Changes for 2025 include: a need for further leadership ccommitment and provider wide integration, for example establishing a dedicated careers leader to oversee the development and implementation of a comprehensive careers program, which leadership at all levels commit to. Investing in staff training and resources to deliver effective guidance, despite potential constraints is also advised. An alternative to this could be identifying suitable external support that could contribute to a successful careers programme. The guidance also argues that quality assurance by engaging with frameworks like the Quality in Careers Standard and Matrix ensures continuous improvement and accountability.

Tailoring guidance to support learners from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, who may lack access to social capital and networks, is also suggested and careers guidance must now be more inclusive of parents and carers, who play a critical role in learner choices.

Strategies for Effective Implementation

To navigate these changes successfully, providers will first need to complete a self-assessment of their current policy and plans. Each provider will undoubtedly be at a different stage of the journey and as such, individual priorities will differ. However, steps that providers could take are as follows:

1. Conduct a Self-Assessment: Use tools like Compass to evaluate current careers provision and identify areas for development.
2. Develop a Strategic Plan: Align careers guidance with institutional goals, ensuring it is an integral part of the educational offering.
3. Enhance Employer Partnerships: Foster relationships with local and national businesses to provide learners with real-world insights and experiences.
4. Invest in Staff Development: Provide ongoing training for staff to stay abreast of sector changes and best practices in careers guidance.
5. Monitor and Evaluate Impact: Regularly collect and analyse data on learner outcomes to inform continuous improvement.

AELP’s Role and Sector-Wide Support

AELP is working closely with the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to support members on key initiatives like Compass and the Careers Impact Maturity Model. We’ve also collaborated on topics such as the Careers Strategy, organisational improvement, and parental engagement. Through our ongoing collaborative partnership with CEC, we will be running more activity to provide support to providers, including a workshop on leadership reviews. CEC have also produced a specific ITP guide to help with the new statutory guidance.

To keep employers central to the conversation, we invited CEC and Gatsby to our January 2025 Employer Forum to explore how stronger partnerships can shape careers education that meets real-world needs. With backing from CEC and the Gatsby Foundation, we’ve kept the sector informed and plan to continue hosting discussions and workshops that focus on key areas.

From checklist to culture

We encourage providers to treat careers guidance as a cultural pillar, not a bolt-on. That means leadership buy-in, data-informed decision-making, and integration into curriculum, Ofsted preparation, and long-term strategy.

AELP is committed to ensuring that our members, and the wider sector, are not just included in the careers education conversation, but are helping to shape it. Through our collaboration with CEC, Gatsby, employers, and training leaders, we are building a system where every learner, regardless of pathway, gets access to high-quality, employer-informed, and aspirational careers education.

By Paul Stannard, AELP Senior Policy Manager, and Madhavi Kumar, AELP Project Manager.