CDI urges families to ask "what is your school providing?" as Level 3 and GCSE Results Days approach

The class of 2026 faces the hardest start to their careers in a generation, and the right careers support, before, on and after results day, matters more than ever, says the Career Development Institute (CDI).

As A Level, T Level and BTEC results land on 13 August and GCSE results follow on 20 August, CDI is encouraging students and families to start asking the simple but important question: what is your school providing in terms of careers support?

The call comes against a backdrop of mounting pressure on young people. Up to a third are now questioning whether university is worth it. Apprenticeships are oversubscribed and harder to secure than ever. And the well-trodden traditional path of A Levels, university and a job into a chosen career no longer feels like a guaranteed route.

The post-16 landscape families are navigating has also become more complex. Alongside A Levels and apprenticeships, students can now choose T Levels, with new V Levels arriving from September 2027, plus Higher Technical Qualifications for those who want a more occupationally-focused route after Level 3 study. More options can mean more opportunity - but only if young people and their families know how to make sense of them, which is exactly where a qualified careers adviser makes the difference.

The case for that support is backed by research. Students who take part in careers guidance at school are considerably more likely to feel confident about their future, and high-quality guidance measurably reduces the risk of a young person ending up not in education, employment or training - with the effect even greater for disadvantaged students.

David Morgan, CDI chief executive, said:

"Results day can feel like the end of the road if things don't go to plan, but it's really just the beginning. With more pathways than ever there are so many opportunities to progress, but the options can be confusing without the right support. That's why every young person deserves access to a qualified careers adviser to help them understand the options and decide which route is right for them.

"Having this access and strong careers provision in a school or college is hugely important and can play a really pivotal role in helping young people transition easily and sustainably into pathways that best suit them. We know many schools offer a fantastic level of support, yet there are others where the school isn't investing in the right level of qualified careers support, so we are asking students and their parents and carers to be demanding, to ask what support is available so their young person can make the most informed choice."

CDI's message to families is straightforward: ask your school or college what careers support will be available before, on and after results day. Understand what careers provision looks like in your child's school. Advisers offer informed, impartial guidance that can help young people see the full range of options open to them.

Visit our Results Day 2026 hub for the full list of questions worth asking, guidance on post-16 and post-18 pathways, and details on how to find a qualified careers adviser via the CDI's UK Register of Career Development Professionals. Young people and their families can also access support in England at nationalcareers.service.gov.uk and via the National Careers Service Exam Results Helpline on 0800 100 900. In Wales, support is available at workingwales.gov.wales/start-your-story. The Careers Service Northern Ireland can be reached at www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/careers and in Scotland, (where results were published earlier this month), Skills Development Scotland offers support on 0808 100 8000 and at www.myworldofwork.co.uk. 

CDI is running a campaign across its channels throughout results season, under the hashtag #ClassOf26, sharing guidance and real experiences of how good careers advice has helped young people find the path that's right for them.