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Parents and carers are influential on their child’s choices and career decisions and therefore are key players in shaping what their best next step might be. In partnership with the Gatsby Foundation, we have developed Talking Futures: a campaign to help parents and carers have more constructive and informed careers conversations with their child. This includes a suite of resources designed to support schools and colleges to connect parents and carers into their careers programme as well as equipping them directly through tailored resources.

Approaching parent and carer engagement strategically

In recent research, 67 per cent of ¸£Àû¼§ leaders told us they wanted to see parent and carer engagement in careers approached strategically and inclusively across the whole school or college.

We understand that engaging parents and carers about careers will require support from all members of staff, especially the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) who will need to advocate and guide a whole school or college approach to identify opportunities to enhance current practice.

Support for schools, colleges and special schools

There are several key resources available that have been successfully tested to help institutions like your own enhance parent and carer engagement:

• -Ìýgain the foundation knowledge to amplify the role of parents and carers in careers-decision making
• - map what parents and carers need to know and when, against what has been planned for young people in your careers programme
• - a presentation to share with your senior leadership team to explore how to embed parent and carer engagement in your careers programme

Be part of this year’s campaign

We are developing more resources and guidance to help ¸£Àû¼§ Leaders to take a strategic and embedded approach to parent and carer engagement in careers.

If you’re a ¸£Àû¼§ Leader...

Sign up to the to receive regular updates about Talking Futures and learn more about these principles.

Contact us at talkingfutures@careersandenterprise.co.uk to share success stories of parent and carer engagement in careers taking place in your setting.

If you’re an Education Leader or Governor...

Sign up to the Ìý´Ç°ùÌý to stay informed about the Talking Futures campaign, policy updates and further information to improve student outcomes.

A parents’ toolkit for conversations

The  has developed a suite of resources directly for parents to help them have more informed and constructive conversations with their child about the different training and education pathways available to them. You can support parents with their own learning at home by signposting them to the Talking Futures website: