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Strategic Careers Network Group - FES Connect 2025/26

Venue: Online via Zoom

Date: 27 January 2026

Time: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Fee: Free to attend

The Association of Colleges (AoC) is delighted to be working in partnership with the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to launch a national network for strategic careers leaders in post-16 education.

As well as being a part of the network and its benefits, CEC is offering network group members access to their data dashboard allowing you oversight of careers education performance relating to your college/college group to compare your performance with the sector. The dashboard will:

Compare benchmark performance with the sector.
Compare benchmark performance across colleges within a group.
Give graphical representations of benchmark performance.
Visualisations of blockers to improved benchmark performance.
Valuable data set for external bodies.

The network group is open to senior leaders with responsibility for strategic careers leadership in post 16 education or training.

Join the conversation and stay up-to-date with the latest news: @AoC_Info

Objectives:

Support achievement of high-quality careers education and continuous improvement underpinned by careers impact maturity model for colleges
To showcase examples of what is working well across the country to elevate careers education best practice
Deliver opportunities for collaboration and discussion between providers and across regions
Provide opportunities to bid for funding and projects to support careers education development
Receive strategic updates from The Careers and Enterprise Company and AoC.

Delivered through:

A national network for strategic careers leaders in colleges and 6th forms
3 online meetings annually (all dates must be attended – dates outlined below)
Updates and information on policy and national developments through collaboration with stakeholder groups
Newsletters showcasing best practice & upcoming events & activities
First refusal on new projects, opportunities and careers insights
Resources, information, training and support on the CEC Resource Directory
CEC data dashboard – subject to signed MoU.

What we ask of you

You must be able to attend all three Strategic Careers Network Group meetings (dates outlined below)
Be a senior leader in post 16 education. (Please note this group is not for career advisors/leads etc, please head to our Promoting effective careers practice (FES Connect) Hot topic series 2025/26 webpage for opportunities related to these roles).
Sign up to receive a data dashboard allowing you oversight of careers education performance relating to your college or group of colleges and compare your performance with the sector
Contribute to the community and share best practice with a commitment to raising quality of careers education across the sector.

Online meeting information:

1) Strategic Careers Network Group Meeting 1 l Tuesday 7 October 2025, 15:30-17:00 - This event has passed.

Description: In this, our first strategic careers network group, we will set out terms of reference, receive strategic updates from The Careers and Enterprise Company and the Policy Manager for Careers at the AoC. We will share plans for the group and there will be opportunity for sector voice and to shape future work.

Meeting theme: Modern work experience and FE developments, and application of Equalex.

2) Strategic Careers Network Group Meeting 2 l Tuesday 27 January 2026, 15:30-17:00

Meeting theme: NEET prevention/Disadvantaged

3) Strategic Careers Network Group Meeting 3 l Tuesday 12 May 2026, 15:30-17:00

Meeting theme: Continuous quality improvements/ Insights from IRL completions and next steps

In addition to our Careers Strategic Network group, we host a series of free ‘Hot Topic’ webinars, promoting effective careers practice which is open to all. To sign up please click here – Hot Topic Webinar Series 25/26.

For any further information on the Strategic Careers Network Group (FES Connect). please contact projects@aoc.co.uk