Ministers should trial direct funding of careers advisers amid fears asking schools to foot the bill is leading to 鈥渟ignificant disparities鈥 in provision, MPs have said. Schools should also be made to publish information on the amount of time that leaders in charge of careers provision are able to devote to their role, a report by the recommended. Although 鈥渕any changes鈥 to careers advice and guidance over the past decade mean the 鈥渞ight framework is broadly in place鈥, the report warned of a 鈥渓ack of a clear overarching strategy and stated outcomes鈥. Progress towards meeting the Gatsby Foundation鈥檚 eight benchmarks for good careers advice, which all schools are expected to work towards, has been 鈥渟low鈥, with schools and colleges 鈥渙nly meeting just over half of them on average鈥. This is based on self-reporting by schools, which 鈥渕eans that we do not have a full picture of how many are being achieved鈥, the committee warned. Since 2012, schools have been required to fund their own careers provision from their own budgets. The government funds the Careers and Enterprise Company to the tune of around 拢30 million a year to support schools, but this funding is equivalent to just 拢5,000 per school. for Gatsby in 2014 estimated that the cost of meeting all eight benchmarks would range from 拢38,000 to 拢76,000 per school. ‘Significant disparities’ The report warned the expectation on schools and colleges to pay for services out of their 鈥渁lready stretched budgets鈥 was 鈥渃ausing significant disparities in provision鈥, with some spending just 拢2 per pupil. 鈥淭his has led to gaps in support for certain activities, in particular access to independent careers advisers and for schools to achieve the Quality in Careers Standard.鈥 Committee chair Robin Walker The DfE should therefore pilot a programme of funding careers advisers directly through the CEC, the report said, rather than 鈥渞equiring schools and colleges to buy in this support from their existing budgets鈥. The department should also make 鈥渙ne-off developmental funding available to schools and colleges who have the lowest record of achieving the Gatsby benchmarks鈥. Support for careers provision should also be included in the package available to education investment areas. The report also found that careers leaders 鈥 those responsible for ensuring their schools meet the benchmarks – are 鈥渟truggling to fulfil their responsibilities effectively due to lack of time amid competing pressures鈥. Almost half have less than a day per week allocated to their role. The DfE should therefore update its statutory guidance to 鈥渟uggest an appropriate proportion of time that careers leaders should be given to fulfil their role鈥. They should also require schools and colleges to 鈥減ublish information on the time they have allocated to the role on their website鈥, and ensure the CEC publishes data from schools and colleges about time leaders have to fulfil their role. Compulsory reporting and boosted Ofsted The report also makes a number of other recommendations, summarised as follows鈥 Ensure Ofsted looks at schools鈥 achievement of the benchmarks Make reporting on progress against the benchmarks compulsory for schools Extend coverage of careers hubs to all schools by the end of 2024 Make the National Careers Service appropriate for under-18s or provide an alternative Evaluate the current primary school career pilot after one year and extend across England if successful Develop tailored benchmarks for careers education in primary schools and provide guidance and resources to support schools to meet them Consult on how to incorporate careers education into different levels of teacher training and development Provide more teachers with 鈥榚xperience of modern workplaces across a range of sectors鈥 Consult on whether any administrative barriers to providing work experience can be removed or lightened 鈥榳ithout compromising the safety and wellbeing of pupils鈥 Create a 鈥榥ational platform鈥 for work experience placements Track compliance against the Baker Clause and ensure 鈥榓ppropriate action鈥 is taken against non-compliance Collect and publish data on the proportion of SENCOs who have undertaken careers training and set out steps to train them all