Quality in Careers

The Quality in Careers Standard is the national quality award for overall careers education and guidance provision in secondary schools, colleges and Independent Training Providers. The Standard is owned and governed by the Quality in Careers Consortium.

This link takes you to the section “What is the Quality in Careers Standard?”

The Standard is accessible in England, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands and is fully aligned with the updated Gatsby Benchmarks for “Good Career Guidance”.

The Standard is “strongly recommended” by, and fully complies with, the Department for Education’s revised ”statutory guidance” published in May 2025.

The Consortium also offers a process of “national endorsement” for awarding bodies providing quality awards for careers education in primary schools:

This link takes you to the section on primary school careers education quality awards

Below are four more “quick links” to the “Guide to the Standard” , “Our Licensed Awarding Bodies”, “The Assessment Guide” and “Getting Started With The Standard”.

20th March 2026

Quality in Careers Consortium Board: Notes of 17.3.26 Meeting

Public Notes Consortium Board Meeting 17.03.26ER.pac

16th December 2025

Quality in Careers Consortium Board public notes: November 2025 meeting

Public Notes Consortium Board Meeting 18.11.25 confirmed

11th December 2025

Quality in Careers AWARD HOLDERS achieve highest Gatsby Benchmark scores (December 2025 analysis)

Quality in Careers award holders and Compass. Analysis DECEMBER 2025 The Quality in Careers Consortium provided the Careers & Enterprise Company with details of 695 schools and colleges holding the national Quality in Careers Standard at the end of September 2025. This enabled the Careers & Enterprise Company to match (via Unique Reference Numbers) the […]

Guide to the Standard

Our Licensed Awarding Bodies

The Assessment Guide

Getting Started with the Standard