Much of Britain’s careers service is being reduced to giving information and advice instead of well-focused education and guidance, a survey by The TES and the Institute of Careers Guidance shows.
Careers staff say they need more cash, staff and time for training if the service is to provide the individual attention expected of it. There is too little time for “troubleshooting”, designing individual career plans or helping the growing numbers who need a career change.
Young people in Scotland and Northern Ireland have more realistic job expectations than counterparts in England and Wales, the survey found. A third of young people using the careers service suffer from “lack of confidence” and are “underestimating their potential”.