From School to Success: Why Parental Support Is Crucial in Career Planning

Having worked in careers education for many years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the incredible dedication of career professionals who strive to deliver high-quality guidance and support to young people. Schools work tirelessly to embed meaningful careers education into their curriculum, and the impact of this work is evident. However, one consistent theme continues to emerge: parents and carers remain the most influential voices in a young person’s career journey.

Despite this, the level of support available to parents is significantly less than what is provided to schools and students. While there are excellent resources out there—such as https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/educators/bringing-parents-and-carers-into-career-conversations/ and https://www.talkingfutures.org.uk/—these are still relatively limited in scope and reach. The imbalance is clear, and it’s something we need to address.

Parents already carry a wide range of responsibilities, many of which are demanding and complex. On top of supporting their child emotionally, socially, and academically, they are also expected to provide accurate and up-to-date career advice. This is no small task. Consider a parent who left school and entered the workforce in the mid-1990s—how can they be expected to confidently navigate today’s career landscape, which includes UCAS, GCSE reforms, T Levels, V Levels, apprenticeships, and an ever-evolving job market?

Recent research highlights this challenge:

• 25% of parents report feeling uninformed when it comes to supporting their child’s education choices.

• 27% of parents feel they lack the knowledge to guide their child’s career decisions.

  
  

These figures are concerning, especially when we know that parental influence plays such a pivotal role. If we truly want to empower young people to make informed, confident decisions about their future, we must also empower their parents.

This means providing parents with accessible, relevant, and timely information. It means creating opportunities for parents to engage in career conversations, attend workshops, and receive guidance tailored to their needs. It means recognising that parents are not just passive observers in their child’s career journey—they are active participants.

And when this support is done well? The results speak for themselves. The Institute for Employment Research found that when parents and carers actively engage in career discussions, young people feel more confident and clearer about their choices. This clarity can lead to better decision-making, stronger motivation, and ultimately, more successful transitions from school to the world of work.

So let’s shift the narrative. Let’s invest in parents as partners in career education. Let’s ensure they have the tools, knowledge, and confidence to guide their children effectively. Because when parents are empowered, young people thrive—and that’s the ultimate goal.