What Is Careers Week at Secondary School? A Guide for UK Parents

What is National Careers Week?

National Careers Week (NCW) is a not-for-profit initiative that runs annually in the first week of March. It provides schools with free resources, frameworks, and a recognised hook to organise careers activities. Schools that align with NCW typically hold:

• Assemblies featuring local employers or alumni
• Curriculum-linked careers activities where subject teachers connect their subject to real-world careers
• One-to-one or small-group career guidance conversations for pupils in Years 10, 11, and sixth form
• Sessions with platforms such as Unifrog, CareerPilot, or the National Careers Service to help pupils explore options

Participation in NCW is voluntary and not universal — some schools run their own careers week at a different point in the year, and a few conduct careers activities throughout the year rather than concentrating them in one week.

What activities do schools typically run?

Careers weeks vary significantly by school and year group. Common activities include:

Some schools also run industry-specific taster days — a day working with a local hospital, engineering firm, or creative agency — though these are often in addition to, not part of, a single careers week.

How does careers week connect to statutory requirements?

Schools in England are required to provide careers guidance that meets the Gatsby Benchmarks — eight standards covering areas including stable career guidance, employer encounters, and experience of workplaces. Careers week typically contributes to several of these benchmarks, particularly:

• Benchmark 5 — encounters with employers and employees
• Benchmark 7 — encounters with further and higher education
• Benchmark 8 — personal guidance

By Year 11, pupils should have had at least three encounters with employers across their secondary school career (per the Gatsby Benchmark targets); careers week often provides one or two of these formally recorded encounters.

How can parents support careers week at home?

Parents can amplify the impact of a school careers week significantly without any formal involvement:

• Talk about your own career path — how you got into your field, what you enjoy about it, and what you find difficult. Even parents who feel their careers are ordinary offer invaluable insight into what work actually involves.
• Ask your child what they discovered during the week — specific questions about what surprised them, which sectors interested them, and whether anything changed their thinking.
• Avoid dismissing options — a pupil who comes home excited about a vocational path benefits from a curious, open-minded conversation rather than immediate comparisons with more prestigious routes.
• Offer to introduce your child to someone you know in a field they are curious about — an informal coffee conversation with a professional in a relevant area can be more formative than any school event.

What should pupils do during careers week?

Encourage your child to:

• Attend every scheduled session — even topics that seem irrelevant can prompt unexpected interests
• Ask at least one question of every speaker they encounter
• Record what they learn — a brief note after each session is enough to build a useful picture by the end of the week
• Follow up on anything that genuinely interests them — a speaker who mentions their company's website, a course that sounds relevant, a sector they had never considered

Frequently asked questions

Does careers week happen every year at secondary school?

Most secondary schools run some form of structured careers activity annually, though the scale and labelling varies. Some schools use the National Careers Week timing; others schedule independently. Not all schools use the term "careers week" — some call it "futures week", "pathways week", or simply "CEIAG week" (Careers Education, Information, Advice, and Guidance). Check your school's annual calendar for when careers activities are scheduled.

Are careers activities only for older pupils?

No. Good careers education starts early. While the most intensive activities (mock interviews, university fairs, apprenticeship evenings) are typically for Years 10 to 13, career exploration — connecting subjects to real-world applications, discussing what different jobs involve — is part of the curriculum from Year 7 under the Gatsby Benchmarks. Younger pupils often find assemblies, career mapping, and employer talks highly engaging.

Can parents volunteer to speak during careers week?

Yes, and schools actively value this. A parent who works in any industry — healthcare, trades, technology, law, arts, public service — can contribute a short talk or be part of a speed-networking panel. Contact the school's careers lead or PSHE coordinator if you would like to offer your time.

How do I know if my child's school is delivering good careers guidance?

Ofsted inspectors assess careers guidance against the Gatsby Benchmarks and the school's statutory duty under the Education Act 1997 (as amended). Schools are also required to publish their careers programme information on their website, including the name of the careers lead and how parents can contact them. If you cannot find this information on the school website, ask the school office.

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