COICE purpose and terms of reference

To enhance and champion careers education across the UK.

 COICE is a community of careers education specialists and experts who work to promote best practice in careers education in the UK. In doing so, COICE helps identify and influence careers education planning, design and delivery. 

View the full terms of reference

COICE's role

COICE operates as an informal group of career education specialists and experts who work together as an independent body supported by the CDI. The group aims to represent the range of research and practice in careers education throughout the UK, and individuals can apply to join the group.

In addition to expert individuals, representation is invited from the key public service organisations for careers education across the UK – currently Careers & Enterprise Company, Skills Development Scotland and Careers Wales.

The group's role includes;

  • Acting as a think tank for careers education in the sector.
  • Sharing updates on emerging developments in careers education.
  • Discussing key topics to inform briefing/position papers.
  • Undertaking or instigating projects to further develop thinking and practice in careers education.
  • Supporting the CDI, e.g. with the National Careers Leaders’ Conference.

The group meets quarterly to share updates, discuss items of interest and progress projects. The plan is to produce an annual report to be published here, highlighting the contribution the group has made.

Joining COICE

The COICE group is keen to engage careers education professionals who wish to bring their expertise to the group to add to the discussions on best practice and help share this with careers practitioners in schools and colleges across the UK. If you are interested, please contact COICE Chair, John Ambrose, at john.ambrose@complete-careers.com

Work-Related Learning - paper in development

Members of COICE are working on a best-practice paper covering work-related learning. With an increased focus on this area of careers programmes within UK schools, this paper by COICE experts will outline key the aspects of delivering great work-related learning experiences, regardless of the UK nation in which you work.

The paper will then link to each nation's approaches to delivery so that practitioners can get an overall sense of best practice and how to deliver it within each system.

This paper is due to be published by summer 2024.

Quality Assurance - paper planned

The next paper from COICE will be a similar overview of approaches to quality assurance for careers programmes. Again this will cover a summary of best practice and link to the various quality assurance mechanisms available - or required - throughout the UK nations.  

Careers Leaders' community

The Community of Practice for Careers Leaders is open to both CDI members and non-members. As well as a forum for discussion and sharing ideas among Careers Leaders, the community includes a library of documents, resources and research.

Join the community

LinkedIn community

The CDI's Careers Education community on LinkedIn has 556 members and is free to join for CDI members.

Simply visit the page and ask to join, to access discussion and sharing of ideas from fellow careers education professionals.

Careers Education Community on LinkedIn 

careers education community