Welcome to Lab to Ed Leadership — the podcast where we explore the connections between teaching, leadership, and system-level transformation.

I’m your host Geetika and today’s episode is about something we think we’re doing well in schools… but if we’re honest, we’re not.

Career education.

The Illusion

Every year, schools run a career fair.

Every year, students complete one week of work experience.

Every year, we tick the box… and move on.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

A career fair and one week in an office is not career education.

It’s not even close.

Because the world our students are stepping into?

It’s chaotic.

Non-linear.

Portfolio-based.

AI-disrupted.

And brutally competitive.

And yet… we’re still preparing them for a career ladder that no longer exists.

What Students Are Really Saying

Let’s listen to students for a moment:

“I spoke to a few employers… but I still don’t know what I want to do.”

“My work experience was filing papers. I didn’t learn anything real.”

“We’ve never been taught how to write a CV properly… or network.”

“Why does it feel like university is the only path?”

And then we wonder why:

Students feel lost.

Apprenticeships are underused.

Courses don’t match expectations.

Employers say young people are “unprepared.”

This isn’t a student problem.

It’s a system problem.

The Harsh Reality

Right now, many schools are offering:

• One week of work experience

• One CV session

• One assembly on options

• One career fair

And calling it career education.

But real career literacy is something much deeper.

It’s about:

• Understanding how the labour market actually works

• Exploring different pathways — not just one

• Learning how to network and communicate

• Reflecting on strengths, interests, and identity

• Building portfolios, not just CVs

• Seeing role models they can relate to

• Learning how to adapt, pivot, and grow

One week won’t build that.

One event won’t build that.

What Needs to Change

So what do we do differently?

🔹 Start career learning early — not in Year 10 or 11

🔹 Embed it across subjects — not isolate it

🔹 Offer multiple, meaningful experiences — not one-off tasters

🔹 Involve parents and communities

🔹 Create real-world connections — not just presentations

Because career education isn’t an event.

It’s a journey.

Final Reflection

If we want young people who are confident, prepared, and hopeful about their future…

We need to stop doing what’s convenient.

And start doing what’s necessary.

Because right now, we’re not preparing students for the world as it is —

we’re preparing them for a version of it that no longer exists.

Here are the Key takeaways from this episode:

Career learning is continuous

Real-world skills matter

One week isn’t enough

Thanks for listening.

Until next time, this is Lab to Ed Leadership —

where reflection meets action