Inspiring Careers Programme

Supporting learning providers to deliver CEIAG, achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks, and gain the Quality in Careers Standard.

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What is the Inspiring Careers Programme?

The Inspiring Careers Programme works with schools and colleges to deliver careers education information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to young people. The programme also supports with work experience placements and achieving the Quality in Careers Standard.

We know how important it is that young people receive expert, informed advice and guidance as they make the critical transition from school to further learning and employment, and what works in delivering this. Last year, we managed to support over 19,000 students - 99% of which were happy with the support they received.

Our bespoke programmes are designed to help schools and colleges meet their statutory responsibility for careers, and to achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks. We also work with Careers Hubs to deliver bespoke careers programmes.

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the invaluable support that you have provided to the students of Ark Blake Academy. Your guidance has had a significant impact on our pupils, helping them to explore and consider their future pathways with confidence and enthusiasm.”

- Sara Shokir, Associate Assistant Principal Year 11, Ark Blake Academy

How can we help?

We welcome enquiries from schools and colleges about our tailored CEIAG provisions, work-related learning, and Quality in Careers Standard.

Get in touch

Why work with EDT

We have been delivering careers advice and guidance to schools and colleges since 1996 - and we are proud of our personalised, evidence-informed approach. We are Matrix-accredited for the quality of our information, advice and guidance services.

"At EDT, we understand the importance of meaningful CEIAG to unlock the potential and aspirations of all young people. Our programmes are designed to increase the life chances of individuals by improving education and skills outcomes, while helping schools and colleges meet the Gatsby Benchmarks."

- Mark De Backer, Head of Careers, EDT

By working with EDT, you'll benefit from our gold-standard service:

We assign a dedicated contract manager to each school or college.
We can work together to plan CEIAG in your school, resulting in a detailed delivery plan.
We are responsive and provide regular feedback reviews and evidence of impact.
We can demonstrate a proven track record with a range of schools and colleges.
Student voice captured, and contract annual evaluation.
Monthly term time LMI Newsletter.
CHOICES magazine aimed at Year 11 students – with an accompanying lesson plan and presentation.

Benefits of this programme

Professionally qualified careers advisers to a minimum level 6 who undertake CPD to maintain their knowledge and skills.
We use the latest labour market data to inform our delivery.
We are members of the Career Development Institute (CDI) and adhere to their code of practice.
Shared knowledge, learning and practice from a breadth of careers programmes across EDT.

A fantastic service. We're very pleased with all the guidance our students have been receiving. The organisation is excellent and all the staff are super helpful and friendly.
Inspiring Careers Programme participant

How we support you

We offer a broad range of services including:

Personal Guidance (GB 2, 3, 4 & 8)

Our one-to-one careers sessions and group work activity encourages and empowers young people to make informed decisions about their learning and career pathways. Our impartial careers advisers, professionally qualified to a minimum level 6, use the latest labour market information to inform their practice and actively undertake continuous professional development to maintain their knowledge and skills. We have experience in supporting students from a wide range of schools and colleges including SEND and alternative provision, both in face to face and virtual settings.

Work Related Learning, including Work Experience (WEx)

We work directly with schools and local employers to coordinate a strategic, coherent and meaningful work experience (WEx) offer for school and college students. This includes:

working directly with employers to secure, organise and manage work experience a placement schedule
completing risk assessments for all employer placements
monitoring, evaluating and reviewing, including providing impact data (Student and Employer Voice) to schools
curating and delivering engaging work-related learning events.

Here's how just a few of the students we have supported have benefitted from work experience:

"My communication skills have significantly gotten better and I think I am much more empathetic and a much better listener."

"I feel I have more independence, took responsibility of my time, have more confidence and feel ok about asking for help."

Additionally, our partner employers are supported throughout the process:

"[The student] was an absolute pleasure to have around the office. [They were] super helpful and enthusiastic with an eagerness to learn, and was happy to complete all tasks given. We wish [they] could have stayed longer."

"Our first time hosting a WEx student with EDT and couldn’t have been more supported by the team. It is so rewarding, I would encourage all employers to support the future of these students when they can."

Careers consultancy and Quality in Careers Standard

We offer services to enhance and embed CEIAG as well as aligning with teacher standards. As an awarding body for the Quality in Careers Standard, we can also endorse Primary Schools with The Inspiring Careers Award. Our consultants use a “critical friend” approach to support evidence collection and assessment.

"The EDT consultant's support made the process easier. She boosted my confidence and reviewed my work at every stage. I highly recommend EDT to schools pursuing the [Quality in Careers Standard]."

To support Teacher Standards, we provide teacher encounters at schools, colleges, or employer sites. These encounters help educators engage with employers, understand career pathways related to their subjects, and see practical applications in business settings.

Our Bridging the Gap programme offers custom packages, including pre-encounter sessions, employer encounters, and post-support training for teachers. This is also available to Career Hubs supporting their schools.

"Programmes such as Bridging the Gap have significantly enabled me to integrate workplace knowledge into my lessons, better preparing students for the professional environment."

- Teacher from Teacher Encounters

Professional Support - Careers CPD & Qualifications

As part of our data management and tracking services, we can help track and analyse career outcomes data to see how young people are progressing in their career, measure the effectiveness of careers guidance programmes and make changes accordingly. Our tracking, follow-up and data reporting services can be tailored to meet the needs of each learning provider and we can help them to keep a comprehensive and accurate record that supports students’ development. The data can be used for both Ofsted inspections and for marketing purposes.