Career Review: key milestones reached as further details published

In publishing details of the Career Services Operating Model and Collaborative, the independent review is delivering against two of the key actions outlined in its report Careers By Design, published earlier this year. And these developments pave the way for the design of new services in schools, further and higher education and communities across the country. 

Chair of the independent Career Review Programme Board Grahame Smith said: “The months since the review published have been turbulent, bringing our recommendations into sharp focus. The cost of living crisis and the prospect of a significant economic downturn have impacted us all. These developments highlight the strong need for us to ensure that our public investment in career services is maximised, and that the recommendations of the review are delivered. This new report will fundamentally shape how Scotland’s career services support our people in the future. It provides a roadmap to ensuring that the support available to our citizens is more cohesive, impactful and better supports them to develop the skills they need for a rapidly changing world.” 

The Career Services Operating Model builds on the comprehensive insight, evidence and co-design undertaken through the review. It directly responds to the recommendations, co-designed with stakeholders, practitioners and those with lived experience of services. The report also outlines the remit and functions of the Career Services Collaborative that will lead the change, innovation and improvement required to deliver the operating model. 

It will be jointly led by service providers and service users. The structure of the Career Services Collaborative will be finalised in December 2022. The co-design of future career services which deliver against this operating model has now begun. This co-design process will provide detail on how services are going to change and a plan to realise that change.  

The component parts of the ecosystem are driving this development process, identifying groups and people who will determine how career services in their respective sectors respond to the review recommendations.