Newcastle City Learning
Achieve your ambitions

Careers information advice and guidance policy

Policy statement  

All learners and clients within Newcastle City Learning have an entitlement and equal opportunity to receive impartial and confidential information, advice and guidance (IAG) in order to:  

  • Enable them to make informed decisions about their learning, development and career progression opportunities 
  • Explore or plan short-, medium, or long-term work, learning or career objectives 
  • Promote social, physical and mental wellbeing 

Purpose 

Newcastle City Learning aims to provide high quality, impartial, information, advice and guidance services to anyone who wishes to access our training programmes or services. This includes any potential new customers or those who are already learning with us. We feel by providing quality information, advice and guidance services, we can help our clients make the right choices about their training courses or programmes that will enable them to reach their full potential.  

Scope 

This policy covers a range of curriculum offered by Newcastle City Learning including apprenticeships, vocational qualifications, study programmes, functional skills, short courses and other funded training opportunities that are available. IAG services we supply also include employers, parents and carers and anyone who contacts us through the many lines of communication.  

Newcastle City Learning maintains connections with nearby schools and colleges through various career events. We have good connections with local employers, ensuring they play a leading role in preparing young people for the world of work. It is important that employer engagement is seen as a complement to, rather than a substitute for, impartial independent careers advice and guidance. In addition, we have partnerships with Work and Thrive Newcastle, National Careers and Newcastle Careers and Guidance team, which assists us in sharing good practice and developing opportunities for our clients. 

IAG Policy Objectives 

  • Newcastle City Learning will clearly define what IAG and careers advice is and how it can be accessed.  
  • Learners have an entitlement to ask for IAG and careers advice at any time and are informed of this entitlement. 
  • All learners will receive equal access to IAG products and services. 
  • All learners will be allocated a named contact who will either directly provide IAG or careers advice or signpost individuals to another, more appropriate specialist, service or advisor.  
  •  IAG and careers guidance will be provided by staff with the relevant skills, knowledge and understanding.  All front-line staff involved in IAG and careers guidance must hold or be working towards a minimum of a Level 2 qualification in IAG. 
  •  IAG will be provided to learners at strategic points throughout their learner journey and as a minimum before enrolment, at the start of their programme, during their programme and at the end of their programme. 
  • IAG will be confidential and recorded on an appropriate course enquiry form which is shared only with Newcastle City Learning personnel who will further support the learner. This will be done only with the permission and full knowledge of the learner*/**.  
  • The service will quality assure its IAG and careers guidance processes against the criteria within the Matrix standard to ensure that it meets or exceeds these standards. 
  • All enquiries for IAG and careers guidance will be responded to within 5 working days.  
  • All staff who deliver IAG or careers guidance will have an observation at least once per year when delivering IAG and careers guidance to learners. 
  • Where learners need to be signposted to other personnel/services, it is the responsibility of Newcastle City Learning staff to facilitate this rather than place the responsibility on the learner.  
      
    *If you are under the age of 18 years, your parent or guardian may be involved in the process. Where this is the case, we will consult/inform you.  
      
    **Where information provided is thought to cause possible harm to the client or others it may be necessary to disclose this to a third party.  If this is thought necessary, we will consult/inform you.  

Updated September 2025.