INVESTOR IN CAREERS

FAQs

Investor in Careers (IIC) became a Licensed Awarding Body for the national Quality in Careers Standard in April 2017. The Quality in Careers Standard is the sole national CEIAG Standard delivered by 8 Licensed Awarding Bodies across England & Wales. All Licensed Awarding Bodies assess to the National Standard, but each body will have different ways of supporting educational institutions to meet the Quality in Careers Standard. We support this through the Investor in Careers approach. CSW Group Ltd originally developed the Investor in Careers Award in 1996. In 2024, ownership of the IIC brand transferred to Investor in Careers Ltd, now a company in its own right.
The Quality in Careers Standard has been structured, and will be updated as required, to ensure educational institutions meet the requirements of legislation, careers strategy and Government guidelines relating to CEIAG as well as the Gatsby Benchmarks. It provides a framework for both the delivery and for the evaluation of CEIAG and the process can help to provide independent, objective evidence for inspections (e.g., Ofsted). In most cases the acquisition of the Standard will exceed the expectations of inspectors and the public who sit on awarding panels. A key aspect of the Standard is the integration of CEIAG within the curriculum and the whole school approach to quality CEIAG.
All educational institutions will be assessed to ensure they meet the national Quality in Careers Standard. Investor in Careers has developed appropriate guidance and criteria for secondary schools (including secondary special schools), sixth form and colleges of further education, primary schools, and work-based learning providers. Each set of criteria has been assembled with the help of consultants, assessors and managers to ensure that they are achievable, accurate and measurable. All criteria ensure organisations are meeting the DfE statutory guidance and the Quality in Careers Standard.
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A quality CEIAG programme ensures that students and learners have both self and opportunity awareness. There is a great deal of evidence to suggest that broadening horizons and demonstrating what is open to young people will act as a significant motivator. Higher levels of motivation will increase aspiration and help to pave the way for higher achievement. With well-planned CEIAG, students are much more likely to make the right choices; this in turn will have a positive effect on discontinuation rates/drop out. It is a requirement of achieving the Standard through Investor in Careers that young people are involved in both the design and the evaluation of CEIAG programmes. This will ensure that the programmes are perceived as more relevant and specifically engage with young people to meet their needs not just perceived needs. High quality CEIAG will also assist in creating relevance in the curriculum to life beyond school and on into the world of work and further study or training.
First there is the contribution in staff and learner time, which should not be underestimated. The amount of work involved varies from organisation to organisation and will depend on your starting point and what is already in place. Providers can complete within 6 months (rarely) but 12 to 18 months is a realistic target. The Investor in Careers team will be happy to talk through with you the level of time and resource required to complete the award. Please be mindful that you may need to put major programmes of provision into place for CEIAG if they are absent and this can take time and may also need to be assessed across terms.
We are here to support you every step of the way. Many of our meetings are carried out virtually and on-line support can be provided. Additional consultancy support is available but will incur an additional cost – check with your sub-licence holder or IIC directly. We look to provide a range of support and are working on a new series of masterclasses which will allow you to hear directly from experts on a range of relevant CEIAG topics. Keep your eye out for dates and times.
Assessors will contact learning providers seeking to achieve the Standard before each visit, outlining exactly what they expect from the assessment visit. If possible visits are carried out in person however they are also carried out virtually if an in-person visit is not possible. They will check the portfolio of evidence and will speak face-to-face with senior managers, tutors, and governors where applicable. They will also speak with other staff, including the Careers Adviser. Importantly, they will wish to speak with groups of students/learners or observe them in a careers lesson. They will want to look at the organisations action plan. Once evidence has been examined and interviews/conversations held they will confirm if the evidence they have seen and heard meets the criteria for the Standard.
The assessor will give verbal feedback to the organisation. They will produce a full, written report. Once agreed the report will be sent with a letter and certificate to the head of the organisation, to the person responsible for CEIAG or equivalent and to the licensee. Learning providers will be accredited as ‘fully meeting’ the Standard.
Three scenarios could present themselves at the end of the visits and after examining the evidence. The first is that the assessor is satisfied that the criteria have been met. The next stages are described above. The second is where the assessor feels the organisation is almost there, but they may need to supply further evidence to support areas where doubt may exist. This further evidence will not usually require a further visit as it can be submitted online. The third scenario is where the assessor feels there are more significant gaps in which case it will be necessary to repeat the assessment visit to a timescale agreed between the assessor and the organisation. In this instance the organisation will be awarded as ‘making good progress’ towards the Quality in Careers Standard. They will receive a report highlighting the areas for development and action. It should be noted that IIC aim to work and support all organisations to a successful Standard, and we are happy to look over evidence uploaded before final submission. To this end we may recommend postponing a final assessment to allow more time for evidence to be produced.
Public recognition for excellence in the delivery of CEIAG is marked through the receipt of a certificate at each stage. In addition, upon achievement of the full standard organisations will receive a plaque (in some instances this will require an additional fee). Organisations that hold the full Standard also use the Quality in Careers Standard and Investor in Careers logos on their websites, email signatures and letterheads. IIC use social media to promote and celebrate success. We can also provide guidance on how to use this in your marketing.
Once achieved, the learning provider holds the award for 3 years. An annual review should be undertaken, and it is the provider’s responsibility to uphold the standard during these years. On very rare occasions, the Standard can be withdrawn if the Licensed Awarding Body becomes aware of a significant deterioration in the quality of provision.
You can choose to go for re-accreditation after 3 years. The re-assessment should take place within a window of 3 months prior to or after the previous award date. Where there is a significant time lapse post expiry, or where major changes have taken place in the establishment or to the CEIAG programme, the organisation may be required to undertake reassessment again against the full Standard. Advice on this matter should be sought from Investor in Careers. When successfully reassessed, organisations are awarded the Quality in Careers Standard for a further three years. Where the assessor finds that the Standard has not been maintained, an action plan to address areas for improvement will be required before the Standard can be re-awarded
Assessors will have extensive experience in CEIAG and assessment activity. All assessors will meet the Investor in Careers Assessor Standards which include DBS checks and maintain compliance training including Safeguarding.
Ideally, yes! Given that a whole organisation approach is generally considered to be the one that works best, every effort should be made to speak with the head of the organisation. If however, the assessor feels they can make a sufficiently robust judgement about the organisation, then an interview with a deputy or equivalent may suffice. If access to staff at that level proves difficult, this may give rise to concerns about the true extent of commitment to the Standard and its values. If an assessor feels that an organisation is unlikely to meet the standard for the foreseeable future, this should be communicated directly to the head/principal.
No, Investor in Careers operates on a national basis. Many organisations have been successful in achieving the Award without a local licensee. These organisations have worked directly with Investor in Careers Ltd. We have schools in Northern Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man who are working towards or have achieved the award.
A partner organisation that delivers the Standard under licence from Investor in Careers Ltd. The sub licensee will normally operate within an agreed Local Authority or geographic area. The licence enables the sub-licensee to implement the Standard on behalf of Investor in Careers in their local area. The final plaque/certificate is presented by the local sub-licensee, or someone they have appointed.

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