FATP · an independent directoryApprenticeship data sourced from DfE, ESFA and IfATEUpdated daily · GB
L6Apprenticeship4531 approved provider
The Level 6 Career Development Professional, and the 1 provider delivering it.
Assisting individuals or organisations before or during career transitions to develop long and short term career strategies.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to support individuals through career transitions, whether that means moving from education into work, returning to the labour market after a break, facing redundancy, or planning for retirement. The role requires sound professional judgement, ethical practice, and the ability to work both independently and alongside other professionals such as HR specialists, social workers, and careers leaders. Training covers career guidance interviewing, coaching, career education programme delivery, labour market knowledge, and the use of assessment and self-assessment tools.
Day-to-day responsibilities
A typical week involves one-to-one guidance interviews, group career education sessions, and liaison with employers, training providers, schools, or colleges depending on the setting. Apprentices will administer career assessment tools, research labour market information, maintain client records, and refer clients to wider support services where needed. Some work is face-to-face; some is delivered online. Depending on the employer, they may also contribute to outplacement programmes, talent reviews, or work-search workshops for specific client groups.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship leads to roles such as career adviser, career coach, career consultant, career leader, personal adviser, or senior employability adviser. Employers span secondary schools, further and higher education, local authorities, employability contractors, outplacement firms, and HR or learning and development teams in large organisations. Experienced practitioners often progress into management, specialist consultancy, or careers leadership positions. The qualification is benchmarked at degree level and aligns with professional recognition through the Career Development Institute.
1 approved provider
Sorted by achievement rate.
AC Training
Employer: 4.0
AC Training (a trading name of Always Consult Ltd.) is a professional training provider specialising...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completers typically move into, or formally step up within, roles such as Career Adviser, Career Coach, Career Consultant, Career Guidance Counsellor, Career Leader, IAG Adviser, Personal Adviser, and Senior Employability Adviser. Some move into Career Co-ordinator positions with responsibility for a team or a caseload across a specific client group, such as young people in schools, adults returning to work, or employees facing redundancy.
Progression paths
Within three to five years, many practitioners progress to senior or lead adviser roles, managing a careers service within a school, college, or employment programme. Two tracks tend to open up from there: a leadership route into Head of Careers, Careers Service Manager, or Director of Employability, and a specialist route into career coaching, outplacement consultancy, or careers research and policy. Achieving or building on Qualified Career Development Professional (QCDP) status with the Career Development Institute supports both tracks.
Where these roles sit
Employers span the public and private sectors. Schools, further education colleges, and universities are significant hirers, as are local authorities, NHS trusts, and Department for Work and Pensions contracted providers. Private outplacement firms, HR consultancies, and in-house learning and development teams at larger organisations also employ career development professionals. Charities working with young people, ex-offenders, or adults with disabilities make up another substantial part of the employer base.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the apprenticeship, learning takes place alongside employment, with the apprentice applying career development knowledge and skills directly in their role. Before moving to final assessment, a readiness check, commonly called the gateway, confirms that the apprentice and employer agree the required knowledge, skills and behaviours have been developed to the standard expected at level 6. Final assessment then provides independent confirmation that the apprentice can work autonomously, make professional judgements in clients' interests, and operate within ethical and legislative frameworks. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated, so check the standard's gov.uk page for the current specification.
What learners need to prepare
Building a record of real workplace activity from the start, rather than retrospectively, makes a significant difference. Apprentices working across settings such as schools, employment services or HR departments should document client interactions, guidance interviews, group work, and any use of assessment tools as they happen. Regular review points with the employer and training provider help ensure progress is on track and that the evidence gathered genuinely reflects the breadth of the role. Keeping structured notes throughout avoids the pressure of reconstructing evidence close to gateway.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% on their FATP profile; given the 24-month duration and the level of reflective practice required at Level 6, a rate consistently above 75% is a meaningful signal. Tutors should have direct experience in careers work, guidance, or employability services, not just generic coaching or HR backgrounds. Strong providers will demonstrate links with real clients or placement settings so apprentices practise guidance interviews and case management, not just study theory. Employer satisfaction scores above 80% and learner reviews that mention supervised caseload experience are worth prioritising.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious if a provider cannot clearly explain how apprentices access real guidance practice with actual clients across different transition types, such as school leavers, redundancy, or returners to work. Vague answers about how they teach ethical decision-making and professional frameworks, particularly reference to the CDI Code of Ethics, should give pause. A high volume of enrolments alongside a declining achievement rate often indicates stretched pastoral support. Equally, if the provider's content does not reflect current labour market information tools and online guidance platforms, the training will quickly date.
Questions to ask before you commit
- What proportion of your apprentices complete and achieve, and how has that changed over the past two years?
- How do apprentices gain supervised practice with real clients, and how many guided interviews will they complete by the end of the programme?
- How is the CDI Code of Ethics and professional standards woven into the programme, and how is ethical practice assessed?
- What labour market information sources and digital guidance tools do you teach apprentices to use?
- Can you show examples of where your alumni are now working, and in what types of settings?
- What support is in place for apprentices who work in smaller or isolated teams with limited peer contact?
- How do you adapt delivery for apprentices working across different sectors, such as schools, employment services, and HR departments?
Common questions
What are the entry requirements for the Career Development Professional apprenticeship?
There are no nationally mandated entry qualifications, but employers typically look for candidates who already work in or alongside careers, education, employment, or HR settings. Apprentices need to be in a paid role where they can practise career guidance and development work with real clients. English and maths requirements apply at Level 2 if not already held. Individual providers may set their own entry criteria, so check directly with them.
How long does the apprenticeship take and how does learning fit around the job?
The typical duration is 24 months, though the actual length depends on prior experience and employer agreement. Apprentices remain employed throughout and apply their learning directly in their role, whether that is conducting guidance interviews, running career education sessions, or supporting clients through transitions. The amount of time dedicated to off-the-job learning is set out in the current standard specification on gov.uk, as figures are subject to revision under ongoing Skills England reforms.
How is the Career Development Professional apprenticeship assessed?
Before the end-point assessment, apprentices must pass through a gateway, demonstrating that they have met the competencies set out in the standard. Assessment models for many Level 6 standards are currently being reviewed, so the specific methods, such as portfolio, professional discussion, or case study, should be confirmed against the current specification on gov.uk. The assessment is designed to test independent, ethical practice with real clients across a range of career development contexts.
How does an employer pay for this apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £9,000, which sets the maximum the government will contribute. Levy-paying employers draw the cost from their Digital Apprenticeship Service account. Non-levy employers, typically SMEs, pay 5% of the training cost and the government covers the rest. If you are a small employer taking on an apprentice aged 16 to 18, the training is fully funded. Costs are paid directly to the training provider, not to the apprentice.
What does a Career Development Professional apprentice actually do day to day?
Day-to-day work varies by setting but typically includes one-to-one guidance interviews with clients facing career transitions, facilitating group workshops or career education programmes, administering and interpreting career assessment tools, researching labour market information, liaising with employers to broker work experience or job opportunities, and maintaining case records. Apprentices also collaborate with professionals such as HR teams, social workers, tutors, and careers leaders to address clients' broader needs alongside their career goals.
What can an apprentice do after completing this apprenticeship?
Graduates of this standard are qualified to work as career advisers, career coaches, career consultants, careers leaders, or personal advisers across schools, colleges, universities, employment services, and private sector HR or outplacement teams. The Level 6 standard aligns with professional membership routes in the careers sector, including through the Career Development Institute. From there, progression can include management roles, specialist consultancy, or postgraduate study in related fields such as coaching, counselling, or education.
Not sure which provider fits?
Tell us a bit about your team and we'll send a shortlist.
Need help choosing a provider?
Tell us your requirements and we'll match you with the right training providers.
Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 453.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.