Careerpilot is closing - FAQs for schools and colleges
Last updated: 18/5/26
Why is Careerpilot closing?
After 15 years of supporting several million young people to explore their strengths, their options and their future study and work, we have made the difficult decision to close Careerpilot in December 2026.
Despite exploring a range of funding options to develop the site to continue to meet the needs and priorities of students, schools and colleges, the combination of the funding environment and the pace of technology change means we are no longer in a position to take the platform sustainably into the future.
When is the site closing?
To give every user adequate time to retrieve their information and plan ahead, the closure will run in stages:
Until 31 July 2026: Careerpilot operates as normal.
From 1 August 2026: Some resources will be decommissioned. Others will be opened up as open access (no log-in required). We will confirm exactly what remains available nearer the time.
31 October 2026: This is the last full day to log in to your account and download any data you wish to keep.
From 1 November 2026: Account log-in and new registrations close. The site will remain accessible to browse.
18 December 2026: The Careerpilot website is taken down.
By 31 December 2026: All remaining user data is deleted.
Is there a replacement platform?
No successor platform is planned at this time. We are exploring options to transfer some of the most valuable Careerpilot resources, including posters and lesson plans, to the University of Bath website so that they remain available beyond closure. We will confirm what will be available, and where to find it, in a future update.
Will I be reminded before the key dates?
Yes. We will send reminder emails to school admins to prompt action ahead of the 31 October download deadline.
Can I still access my school data and reports?
Yes. You can access and download any group or individual reports until 31 October 2026.
Simply log in with your admin password, go to the Reporting Zone and click on Reports. Select any reports you wish to save and download them directly.
If you require any help, please contact us at careerpilot@bath.ac.uk.
What is the final date for downloading data from the site?
31 October 2026. After this date you will no longer be able to log in, and from 18 December 2026 the site will be taken down completely.
Can I still use Careerpilot resources?
You can still use all Careerpilot resources until the end of this academic year, and a limited set of resources from September to October 2026. Beyond that, we are exploring options to transfer some of the most valuable resources, including posters and lesson plans, to the University of Bath website. We will confirm what will be available, and where to find it, in a future update.
What about links to Careerpilot in our school's own systems?
If you have embedded Careerpilot links in your VLE, careers programme handbook, schemes of work, or other school resources, please plan to update or remove these by 18 December 2026, after which the site will no longer be accessible.
What about our Year 11 and Year 13 leavers?
We would encourage schools to remind Year 11 and Year 13 students to download any reports or action plans they want to keep before they leave for the summer, as many will not return to school after July 2026.
How can I support students through the closure?
- Make students aware of the 31 October 2026 deadline to download anything they want to keep.
- Help students log in and save their reports and action plans before they leave (particularly Year 11s and Year 13s before summer).
Reassure them that the closure does not affect their qualifications or any external careers records.
What should I tell a student who asks about the closure?
Reassure them that Careerpilot is closing because of funding and technology change. Their account and any data they have entered is theirs to download and keep until 31 October 2026, and we will delete everything else after 18 December 2026.
What other free sites can we use to support students with future careers information?
BBC Bitesize Careers: www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/careers
National Careers Service: www.nationalcareers.service.go...
Skills for Careers: www.skillsforcareers.education...
About data and privacy
What happens to the account data and personal information when the site closes?
Users with a login are encouraged to download all data and reports by 31 October 2026. All user data will then be securely deleted as part of the full site closure, with deletion completed by 31 December 2026.
How will data be deleted?
User data will be securely deleted from the live Careerpilot system as part of the site takedown, with deletion of all remaining data and backups completed by 31 December 2026. No personal data will be retained by the University of Bath after this date.
Will any data be kept after closure?
We may retain anonymised, aggregated usage statistics (for example, numbers of users by year or region) for our own reporting purposes. No personally identifiable information will be retained.
Who can I contact about data protection?
For any data protection questions, please contact the University of Bath Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@bath.ac.uk.
Contact
For any questions not answered here, please contact us at careerpilot@bath.ac.uk.