Careers Leader
Careers Leaders are responsible and accountable for the planning, delivery and impact measurement of their school, special school or college’s strategic careers plan and progressive careers programme.
It’s a key role that involves aligning careers provision to the strategic priorities of the school, special school or college and overseeing work towards meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks in a meaningful way for young people.
The Careers Leader needs to be someone who can:
- Take responsibility for continuous improvement of the strategic careers plan and the progressive careers programme, which should be planned and implemented to ensure positive outcomes for young people.
- Coordinate and manage the various elements of the careers programme informed by a strategic careers plan aligned to school, special school or college priorities.
- Liaise with external partners, such as employers, learning providers and career guidance services.
- Pay careful attention to feedback from all stakeholders and to the destinations of pupils.
Developed with you in mind, we’ve made it easy to quickly find the trusted, high quality resources you need to make a difference. We’ve identified, and regularly update, key resources that can directly support you as you plan, implement and measure the impact of your strategic careers plan and progressive careers programme and as you work towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks.
Careers Impact internal leadership review
The Careers Impact internal leadership review supports a quality assured, sustainable and strategic approach to careers leadership.
The review forms part of the Careers Impact System, which is a process that drives continuous improvement in careers education. It sets clearly defined standards as to what good looks like in careers leadership and is directly linked to wider school and college improvement.
Spotlight
Careers Leader Induction: Free Online Learning
Careers Leader Induction: Free Online Learning
Guided Learning Hours: 2-4 hours
Careers Leader training
Transform your careers programme and develop your skills as a Careers Leader to strategically embed careers in the curriculum.
Benchmark 1: Suggested universal career-related learning outcomes
This resource suggests a set of learning outcomes that could underpin your universal careers provision.
Understanding how to create a strategic careers plan
This resource helps Careers Leaders create a strategic careers plan that ensures the careers provision:
- Has explicit backing of governors, the headteacher and the senior management teams
- Is linked to the whole school, special school or college development plan
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Skills Builder: Launchpad
Skills Builder Launchpad is online resource platform for you to build your own essential skills through interactive, online modules.
Skills Builder: Inclusive Learning Resource Pack
The Skills Builder Inclusive Learning Resource Pack provides an overview of resources and activities to explicitly identify, build and reflect upon essential skill development. The pack is to be used by educators and facilitators to support all learners, including those with additional needs.
Skills Builder: Benchmark
Skills Builder Benchmark is an online self-assessment tool. Individuals aged 11+ can register and record their reflections against the Skills Builder Framework.
Skills Builder Universal Framework
Follow this progression roadmap from Skills Builder and start building eight essential skills – defined by The Careers & Enterprise Company as ‘employability skills’.
Skills Builder Hub
Access a free-to-use online platform that hosts all the tools you need to build the eight essential skills as outlined by the Skills Builder.
Virtual work experience programme Kennedys Law
Kennedys virtual work experience will allow students to take the first step of their legal career with a global law firm that does things differently. The programme gives students the opportunity to complete legal work experience virtually, completing real life tasks created by Kennedys trainees and apprentices.
Website guidance document
Where do you start when designing the careers element of your website? Follow this step-by-step guide to make sure you cover all the necessary elements.
Where Maths meets the world of work
The Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) have created a suite of resources, enabling Maths teachers to link curriculum learning to careers. Included is an exciting set of videos, which showcase the maths elements in different careers. Each video is paired with a related activity, for students to get a real taste of what the career may entail.
Website audit document
Ensure your website is up to scratch, following best practice guidelines, and ready for audit with this helpful template – designed by the Growth Platform Liverpool.
LMI Update Template for KS4 students
An editable resource designed to be populated by Careers Leaders to reflect local information, to be given to KS4 students before their 1:1 guidance sessions.
LMI lessons key stage 4
Bring your lessons to life and highlight the specific subjects and skills that are vital for future employment.
LMI lessons key stage 3
Enhance the curriculum and provide real-world examples of how specific subjects and skills are vital for future employment.
Keyword(s): all
My Learning My Future: Religious Studies
The My Learning, My Future resources aim to increase learner engagement by showing how subjects connect to careers and the world of work.
My Learning My Future: Science
The My Learning, My Future resources aim to increase learner engagement by showing how subjects connect to careers and the world of work.
My Learning My Future: Sociology
The My Learning, My Future resources aim to increase learner engagement by showing how subjects connect to careers and the world of work.
My Learning My Future: Textiles
The My Learning, My Future resources aim to increase learner engagement by showing how subjects connect to careers and the world of work.
My Skills My Future
This programme has been collated from resources across our partners and network to support young people with SEND under the 2 groups identified in the SEND toolkit. It contains lessons around employability skill development , employer projects and engagement videos all to support young people in their next steps.
National Careers Service
The National Careers Service provides high quality, free and impartial careers advice, information and guidance. The service is available all year round to anyone aged 13+ no matter what stage of the careers journey they are at.
Naturally Talented Me
This Gatsby Benchmark-aligned profiling platform is designed to present and evidence an individual’s natural talents – and align them with real job requirements.
NatWest Dream Bigger Webinars
A series of three webinars aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills in young females aged 16 – 18 yrs.
NCFE-Accredited Online Essential Work Skills Courses
Online NCFE-accredited Essential Work Skill Courses for Key Stage 4&5.
- Introduction to Futureproof Career Skills (3-hours)
- Finding a Futureproof Career (7-hours)
- Developing a Winning Mentality (7-hours)
- Speaking Confidently in Public (7-hours)
- Making Good Financial Choices (7-hours)
- Level 3 Award in Essential Work Skills
This is a costed resource, with a specific fee assigned to each course.
NCS: Democratic engagement
This resource is part of the My Skills My Future programme and contains a slide deck and teacher guide.
NCS: Financial Literacy
This resource is part of the My Skills My Future Programme and contains a slide deck and teacher guidance.
NCS: Loss and the new normal
Loss and the new normal
This resource is part of the My Skills My Future programme and contains a slide deck and teacher guidance for both SEND and AP/PRU settings.

