Career Guidance Should Be a Right, Not a Privilege: CICA Calls for Reform in ACT Public Schools
Every young person deserves access to professionally qualified career guidance, regardless of which school they attend. That is the central message of the Career Industry Council of Australia’s (CICA) submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Social Policy.
CICA has called on the ACT Government to establish a guaranteed career development entitlement for every public school student in Years 7 to 10, backed by professionally qualified practitioners, dedicated funding and a coordinated approach to career education.
The submission responds to the parliamentary inquiry into petitions Make career guidance a right for every ACT Year 7–10 public school student, which attracted 953 signatures.
The petitions raise serious concerns about unequal access to career guidance, reporting that three in five ACT public school students in Years 7 to 10 do not have access to a qualified career adviser at their school.
While these figures require independent verification by the ACT Education Directorate, they highlight a broader issue: access to professional career development support should not depend on individual school staffing decisions or available resources.
The evidence is clear: career guidance matters
CICA’s submission draws on Australian and international research demonstrating the important relationship between career guidance, educational engagement and successful transitions into further education, training and employment.
Importantly, the ACT’s own data reinforces this relationship.
The ACT Post School Destinations and Pathways survey found that among students who left school early in 2023:
- 85.2% of those who received career guidance were employed and/or studying in 2024.
- 66.0% of those who did not receive career guidance were employed and/or studying.
That represents a 19.2 percentage point difference in post-school participation.
While these findings demonstrate an association rather than establish causation, they are consistent with international OECD research linking teenage career readiness activities with better adult employment outcomes.
The evidence also highlights an equity concern. Young people experiencing disadvantage, disengagement or uncertainty about their future are often those who stand to benefit most from career guidance, yet can face the greatest barriers to accessing it.
Seven recommendations for meaningful reform
CICA supports the three requests made by the petitioners: qualified career practitioners in every public high school, scholarships to develop the workforce, and additional government funding.
However, the submission argues that lasting improvement requires more than individual school appointments.
CICA has put forward seven recommendations to establish a consistent, accountable and sustainable approach across the ACT public education system.
1. Guarantee access to qualified practitioners
Every ACT public school with Years 7 to 10 should employ at least one full-time, professionally qualified Career Development Practitioner, with staffing increased at a ratio of one practitioner per 450 students where enrolments exceed that number.
Additional resourcing should be considered for schools supporting students with greater individual guidance needs.
2. Establish clear professional qualification requirements
Career Development Practitioners should hold a CICA-endorsed Graduate Certificate in Career Development or higher, or an equivalent career development-specific qualification, with the Australian Register of Professional Career Development Practitioners providing independent verification.
3. Invest in workforce development
A multi-year scholarship program should support teaching and non-teaching school staff to obtain professional career development qualifications, including course fees and paid study release time.
4. Provide dedicated, ongoing funding
Career development positions must be supported through new, recurrent and indexed funding, rather than relying on existing school budgets. Appropriate classification and remuneration are also essential to attracting and retaining qualified practitioners.
5. Introduce a Preschool to Year 12 Career Education Framework
Aligned with the Australian Blueprint for Career Development, a Territory-wide framework would establish clear expectations for developmentally appropriate career learning throughout schooling.
6. Establish an ACT Career Development Unit
A dedicated unit within the Education Directorate would provide system leadership, professional development, quality assurance, workforce coordination and data analysis.
7. Restore and strengthen post-school destination reporting
CICA recommends reinstating the ACT Post School Destinations and Pathways survey and undertaking a verified audit of current career development staffing and qualifications, with annual public reporting.
Why Years 7 to 10 are so important
Career development does not begin when a student completes Year 12 or submits an application for university, an apprenticeship or employment.
It begins much earlier, as young people develop their interests, explore possibilities, challenge assumptions and begin making decisions that can influence their future opportunities.
For ACT students, Years 7 to 10 are particularly significant.
Subject choices can influence later pathways, while the transition from high school to college introduces another important decision point before students enter Years 11 and 12.
Access to a qualified Career Development Practitioner during these formative years can help students understand the full range of available pathways, connect learning with future opportunities and make informed decisions about their next steps.
A coordinated approach also ensures that career development is not reduced to a single interview or subject selection activity, but becomes an ongoing part of every student’s learning experience.
An important opportunity for the ACT to lead
CICA’s submission also draws attention to the discontinuation of the ACT Post School Destinations and Pathways survey in 2026.
This decision has removed an important source of information about how young people transition from school into employment, education and training.
Without reliable data, governments face greater difficulty identifying gaps in provision, understanding which students require additional support and evaluating whether policy investments are delivering improved outcomes.
CICA argues that the ACT has an opportunity to demonstrate national leadership by combining a guaranteed career development entitlement with professional standards, a coordinated career education framework and transparent reporting.
Such an approach would provide a model for other Australian jurisdictions seeking to strengthen career development in schools.
Career development is an investment in opportunity
The submission builds on CICA’s December 2025 contribution to the ACT Public School System Resourcing Review and reflects its longstanding advocacy for equitable access to high-quality career development services.
At its heart is a straightforward principle: every young person should have the opportunity to explore their aspirations, understand their options and make informed decisions about their future, supported by a professionally qualified Career Development Practitioner.
CICA welcomes the opportunity to work with the ACT Government, the Education Directorate and the Standing Committee to advance reforms that make this entitlement a reality.
Ensuring access to professional career development is not simply about supporting students to choose their next course or job. It is about building the career management skills, confidence and capabilities young people need to navigate learning and work throughout their lives.
The question is no longer whether career guidance matters. It is whether education systems are prepared to guarantee every young person access to it.
Read CICA’s submission
CICA’s submission (Submission No. 11) to the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Social Policy was authorised for publication on 13 October 2026.
Inquiry: Make career guidance a right for every ACT Year 7–10 public school student
Submitted: September 2026
Organisation: Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA)
