Three-year Careers Action Plan published

In June 2025, the Department for the Economy (DfE) and the Department of Education jointly published the Careers Action Plan 2025-2028, a new strategy setting out a framework aiming to modernise and integrate careers support across Northern Ireland.

The strategy responds directly to the 2022 Independent Review of Careers and reflects the recommendations from several key reports, including A Fair Start and the 14-19 Education and Training Framework. The plan’s primary objective is to establish a “universally accessible, high-quality careers system that supports people of all ages throughout their career journey”.

The action plan identifies seven key strategic outcomes:

• building a joined-up careers ecosystem;
• introducing careers education in primary schools;
• establishing quality standards;
• reforming delivery;
• strengthening provision for those with special educational needs (SEN);
• developing a careers portal; and
• enhancing engagement with parents, carers, and community partners.

The action plan highlights that careers support in Northern Ireland has traditionally focused on post-primary pupils, but now needs to address the full life course in response to changing labour market demands. The strategy cites the growing importance of reskilling, technological change, and the need to close the disability employment gap as drivers of reform.

Establishing a careers ecosystem

The strategy sets out plans to formalise partnerships across government, education, and the community sector. This includes the creation of a joint ministerial group to set priorities, along with a careers community stakeholder group and partnerships with labour market partnerships and the Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership.

Cross-jurisdictional cooperation will be strengthened through engagement with the Four Nation Careers Group, the Careers Service of Ireland, and the Career Development Institute.

Primary school careers education

The introduction of careers education in primary schools is a core policy change. The Primary Futures programme is to be expanded to support learners aged between seven and 11, with a mixture of virtual and in-person employer engagement events.

The action plan says that industry volunteers will be recruited to help deliver age-appropriate careers content, supported by new resources co-developed with the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and the Careers Occupational Information Unit (COIU).

Quality and capacity

The strategy commits to the adoption of quality standards across all providers, including schools, further education, higher education, and the community sector.

A careers education delivery framework is to be developed in consultation with the Northern Ireland Schools and Colleges Careers Association to ensure consistency across schools. Teacher training programmes will be revised to include careers education content, and long-term workforce planning will be undertaken to address careers adviser recruitment.

Careers Occupational Information Unit (COIU) resources and bulletins will be expanded, and roadshow events will be delivered across area learning communities with the objective of strengthening local labour market intelligence.

Reforming delivery

The careers service will test new delivery methods aimed at providing a more agile, flexible model. This will include triage systems to prioritise support for those most in need and increased use of technology.

Delivery will be expanded to target adults, particularly those furthest from the labour market. The two department say they will explore integration with Department for Communities projects and local labour market partnerships.

Work experience provision will also be reformed. The action plan states that the two departments will explore the potential for a minimum work experience offer and develop a more streamlined administrative process with the Education Authority.

Strengthening SEN provision

A specific focus is placed on enhancing careers support for SEN learners and vulnerable adults. New delivery models will be piloted, including repeated careers interventions for SEN pupils.

The Careers Service is to procure a digital tool for autistic learners, with the potential for future expansion to other SEN groups. Continuous professional development (CPD) for careers advisors will include updated SEN training and demographic awareness.

The departments say they will also explore the development of a SEN-specific careers bulletin to provide targeted pathways and advice.

Careers portal

A new careers portal is to be developed aiming to provide a single digital entry point to careers support across the system. The portal will be co-designed with users and stakeholders and will incorporate gamification, AI, and accessible content for users of all ages.

The two departments have committed to complete a discovery phase in year one to determine technical requirements and will deliver the portal in years two and three. A user testing programme will be established, supported by the Careers Advisory Forum.

Parents and community engagement

The strategy sets out plans to improve parental engagement at key stages, including parent-teacher events and transition planning for SEN learners.

Webinars and themed resources are to be developed for parents and carers, and a dedicated section of the new careers portal will provide information to support career conversations. Skills Barometer data will be made accessible to help parents understand employer needs and progression pathways.

Delivery and governance

The strategy’s delivery will be overseen by the Careers Advisory Forum, the Joint Ministerial Group, and the newly-formed stakeholder community. Annual reporting mechanisms will be established to monitor progress across all seven strategic outcomes.

The action plan includes delivery timelines, with most key actions to be developed or implemented between 2025 and 2028.

Investment and next steps

Initial investment will focus on the careers portal development, expansion of primary futures, work experience reform, CPD for careers advisers, and SEN-specific digital tools. Workforce planning and recruitment pipelines for careers advisers will be advanced in parallel.

The strategy positions careers as a central policy lever to improve skills alignment, promote social mobility, and support economic growth. The action plan says that the two departments will work with stakeholders across education, industry, and the community to deliver the proposed reforms.

In a joint statement, Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald MLA and Education Minister Paul Givan MLA say: “The action plan outlines the steps needed to create a new careers system that benefits not only young people in skills and education but also adults and those furthest from the labour market.

They add: “Our vision is for a universally accessible, high-quality service that supports people across all stages of their career journey.”