Since the advent of Skills Route and for some time before, we have enjoyed exploring the changing landscape of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG). It seems unnecessary to recount the potted history of changes, so we have chosen to focus this post on the wealth of recommendations for best practice. These have largely been issued since the significant shift that occurred in September 2012 after nearly 40 years - careers guidance moved from having been a publicly funded service to becoming a statutory duty for schools to provide 'independent and impartial careers guidance' for their pupils. 

It's perhaps useful to name just a few of the most well-known resources written to help schools make an effective provision:

• The Careers Development Institute (CDI) provide A practical guide for schools which interprets the Association for Careers Education and Guidance (ACEG - now part of CDI) framework for careers and work-related education.
  
• The Gatsby report released to great acclaim in April 2014 highlights ‘Good Career Guidance’ principles and examples.
  
• In April 2014 UCAS released their own document which highlights the principles of effective CEIAG as evidenced and agreed by the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL); the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL); the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER); and the 157 Group. With a firm focus on practical application, this document provides a structure for auditing careers provision in school and an approach for delivery and ongoing reflection and development of CEIAG.
  
• The Government releases (annually updated) statutory guidance which was entitled 'Careers guidance provision for young people in schools' and issued in March 2015. We (and much of the CEIAG community) anticipate an updated version soon in 2016.
• You have to go back to June 2015 to find the latest Ofsted announcement regarding inspection of careers advice and guidance. The Careers Defender provided a useful summary of the pertinent points.

More recently, provision of CEIAG in schools has been again under the spotlight - this time the focus has been on existing provision - and the infrastructure of organisations and activities that exist already. It's certainly a hot topic with a variety of studies and assessments being announced:

• The newly announced Education Endowment Fund investigation into ways to improve outcomes for young people through careers education
  
• Parliamentary Sub Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy - Inquiry into Careers Advice, Information and Guidance announced in Dec 2015
  
• Parliamentary Sub Committee on Education, Skills and the Economy - Apprenticeships Inquiry announced Feb 2016
  

With so much energy, activity and information, the CEIAG sector has every opportunity to flourish - and new businesses in the sector (like us) can't help but feel encouraged and supported.