Shortlisted: Manifest Coaching & Facilitation at the UK Career Development Awards 2026

We’re delighted to share that Manifest Coaching & Facilitation has been shortlisted for the Contribution to the Development of the Profession award at the UK Career Development Awards 2026.

The nomination recognises practitioner research led by Carl Jackson RCDP, exploring the capacity constraints faced by career development professionals. It is a proud moment for Manifest, and an opportunity to recognise the practitioners whose honest experiences shaped the work.

The awards are run by the Career Development Institute (CDI), bringing together colleagues from across the career development community to celebrate contributions to the profession.

Research shaped by practitioners

The nominated work is a practitioner research project examining the capacity constraints faced by career development professionals. Its findings are shaped by the honest experiences of nearly 300 practitioners.

The working paper, Career Guidance Under Constraint: Practitioner perspectives on time, capacity and delivery conditions (Jackson, 2026), explores how the conditions in which careers guidance is delivered (including time, capacity and workload) affect practitioners’ work. It is available to read for free on Zenodo.

This recognition belongs, in an important way, to the practitioners who shared their perspectives. Their contributions helped bring real professional experiences into a wider conversation about the conditions in which careers guidance takes place.

The paper is a working paper, intended to support professional discussion and reflection. The shortlisting gives that discussion a welcome moment of recognition. It also highlights the value of listening to practitioners and drawing on their experience when considering the development of the profession.

Why this conversation matters

Career development professionals support people as they navigate education, employment and change. The work can involve listening carefully, helping someone make sense of their options, and supporting practical next steps. Those conversations take place within real services, with finite time and capacity.

Understanding the conditions behind the work matters. A discussion about guidance is not only a discussion about what support people need; it is also a discussion about what practitioners need in order to deliver that support. The research offers a contribution to that conversation, grounded in practitioners’ own accounts.

For Manifest, this is closely connected to our work with schools, colleges, organisations and individuals. Our approach centres on practical, personalised support that helps people build clarity and take steps towards further study, apprenticeships or sustainable careers. We also recognise that effective careers provision depends on the people delivering it having the space and conditions to do their work well.

We have previously explored why the conversation about career guidance capacity cannot wait, and shared the full research paper. This award shortlisting is another opportunity to keep the focus on practitioner experience and the wider questions it raises for the sector.

A celebration for the whole profession

The UK Career Development Awards recognise achievements across the career development sector in the UK and internationally. The shortlisted work reflects a shared commitment: strengthening the profession through research, reflection and the exchange of experience.

We are proud to see this work recognised, while staying mindful that the research was shaped by the people who took the time to contribute. Their openness made it possible to examine capacity constraints through the lens of practitioners’ day-to-day experience. We are sincerely grateful to everyone who took part.

The shortlisting is a moment to celebrate, and also a reminder of the importance of keeping these conversations open. Research can help make professional experiences visible, invite discussion and encourage further reflection. We hope the paper continues to be useful to practitioners, careers leaders and others interested in how career guidance is delivered.

Join us in Birmingham on 2 December

The awards evening takes place on Wednesday 2 December at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham, as part of the CDI National Conference. This year’s theme is ‘Careers and All That Jazz’, with a 1920s-inspired evening of celebration. It will be a privilege to celebrate with the wider career development community. See you there.

If you would like to attend, tickets can be booked at thecdi.net/UKCDA.

Booking closes on Wednesday 18 November, so do secure your place soon!

Thank you again to the practitioners whose honest experiences informed the research, and to the CDI for recognising the contribution. We’re delighted to be shortlisted, and proud to share this moment with the community that helped make the work possible.