One in four young people get no careers advice, survey shows

Poll shows 28% of those studying apprenticeships, BTecs and GNVQs are missing out on careers counselling A quarter of teenagers say they have never received any careers advice, according to a poll. The survey of 1,620 15- to 19-year-olds found those on vocational courses were least likely to have been given guidance. Some 22% of those studying for A-levels and university courses said they had not received careers advice; this rose to 28% for those taking apprenticeships, BTecs and GNVQs. The survey, conducted on behalf of City & Guilds – an exam board for vocational courses – also found teenagers were far more likely to ask advice from parents if they had been to university. Just 30% of teenagers would turn first to their parents for advice if they had no more than GCSE-level qualifications. Some 45% would ask their parents for career help if they had degrees. Nick Grist, head of the City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development, said the survey showed deprived teenagers would be further disadvantaged in future. The government plans to create a new National Careers Service by April next year. However, it will not provide face-to-face guidance for those aged under 19. Instead, schools will be given a legal duty to offer careers advice to their pupils. Grist said this could lead to “computer-generated” advice replacing students’ face-to-face conversations with career advisers. “Young people depend on effective guidance to help them choose career and learning options that suit their interests, talents and aspirations,” he said. “It’s not enough to hope that a remote telephone operator or website will be able to give them the personalised support they need, or that hard-pressed head teachers will be able to find space in their budgets for top-quality, face-to-face guidance services.” A spokesman from the Department for Education said it was a “sad fact … that too much [careers advice] … is poor quality and patchy”. “That’s why we are giving schools responsibility for providing independent, impartial careers advice. Schools know their students best and they are the ones best placed to decide what provision is right. That’s why they have complete control over their budgets to buy in the face-to-face support that pupils need.” Careers Vocational education 14 – 19 education Further education Young people Jessica Shepherd guardian.co.uk

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