Towards a Shared Vision: Reinventing Careers and Employability Support for All Ages

As the UK faces profound labour market challenges, from persistent economic inactivity to the long-term impact of health inequalities, the conversation around careers and employability support is gaining renewed urgency. Encouragingly, 2025 has already seen a wave of fresh thinking and policy activity, pointing to a clear appetite for reform across government, regional and local systems.

Recent Policy Developments and Reviews

On 12 March 2025, a key oral evidence session in the House of Commons shed light on one of the most significant proposals in recent times: further integration of the National Careers Service into Jobcentre Plus. This would signal not just an administrative change, but a cultural shift, a move towards embedding meaningful, person-centred career guidance at the heart of employability support. The session underscored the need for a new vision, where careers guidance is accessible not only to young people but also to adults, whether in or out of the workforce.

Nowhere is this shift more evident than in the Keep Britain Working Review: Discovery, published on 20 March 2025. Led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, former Chair of UKCES and now Chair of the DWP Independent Review, the report sets out a compelling case for addressing the root causes of economic inactivity, particularly related to ill-health and disability. Mayfield’s overall analysis is a welcome return to systems-level thinking, backed by robust evidence and a clear ambition to help the UK reach an 80% employment rate. This will require targeted interventions, long-term investment, and a joined-up, compassionate approach to employability and careers support.

Local Innovation and Employer Engagement

Local innovation is also playing a critical role. In County Durham, a bold vision is taking shape. In May 2024, Durham County Council, supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the County Durham Economic Development Partnership, commissioned DMH Associates to undertake robust research on ‘A Shared Vision: Co-Designing an All-Age Careers Framework. The process involved engaging over 2,100 residents and businesses, reflecting a commitment to genuinely place-based planning. The result? A series of actionable recommendations grounded in local needs, with evidence-based findings on Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) from Peter Dickinson, Warwick IER, and Return on Investment (ROI) analysis from Dr Chris Percy (Senior Associate & Economist).

Return on Investment for Employers

We found there is relatively little quantitative evidence on the financial value to employers of contributing to careers provision, such as through talks, visits, and work experience for young people in education, as well as mentoring, advice, and diverse types of placement for adults. Without conceding the importance of philanthropic motivations, Percy’s review undertook scenario-based analysis to help address this gap in the evidence on employer benefits. Our initial estimates for financial benefit have focused on better access to good quality hires (e.g., 10% higher productivity than the alternative hire). These estimates have been sense-checked in consultation with a small group of local employers. We think it is highly likely that the potential for higher quality hires alone leads to a positive average ROI for employers supporting various types of careers activities.

Employers are highly likely to have a positive financial return on investment:

• If good hires result from 0.05 or more out of every 100 pre-GCSE students engaged via careers talks, even with no other benefits considered
• If good hires result from 2 out of every 100 work experience students, even with no other benefits considered
• If good hires result from 3 out of every 100 work placements for students aged 16+ in technical or vocational courses, even with no other benefits considered
• If good hires result from 6 out of every 100 work placements for unemployed adults, even with no other benefits being considered. These financial breakeven thresholds are likely to be conservative. These findings are now informing the early stages of implementation, with County Durham positioning itself as a national trailblazer for integrated careers and employability support.

International Perspectives and Future Directions

In addition, international insights continue to provide useful perspectives. The International Evidence Review commissioned by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland in 2024 offers a valuable lens on what works, especially in terms of targeted, inclusive career interventions. These lessons are particularly relevant as the UK government considers how to guide and support individuals into fulfilling work.

Together, these developments point to a wider movement: one that recognises careers guidance for people of all ages is not as a “nice-to-have” but as a vital part of economic recovery, public health, and social inclusion. The next phase will be about delivery and ensuring that promising ideas translate into lasting change on the ground.

As we look ahead, there is a real opportunity to create a more coherent, inclusive and responsive careers and employability system, one that supports people of all ages, at every stage of their journey.

By Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, UK, EU and International careers policy, research and practice specialist

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of Deirdre Hughes, Director of dmh associates, and do not represent the views of any other individual, organisation, or institution.