Concern over ‘deterioration’ in careers advice for young people

The Government’s decision to hand responsibility for careers guidance to schools was condemned by the Commons Education Select Committee, which called the move “regrettable”. In a new report, the committee, chaired by Beverley and Holderness’ Tory MP Graham Stuart, said it had concerns about the “consistency, quality, independence and impartiality” of the advice offered to youngsters”.

Since last September there has been a duty on schools and colleges to provide all pupils aged between 13 and 16 with impartial careers guidance. But the committee’s inquiry into the impact of the move has concluded that the quality of the careers advice on offer has deteriorated, and should not be left to schools alone.

It raised concerns that teenagers are not getting face-to-face advice, and that some schools are putting their own interests above their students.

There is also evidence that young people are facing a “postcode lottery” in careers advice, with the quality varying between local authorities and between schools, the report found.

The committee said: “We heard evidence that there is already a worrying deterioration in the overall level of provision for young people. Urgent steps need to be taken by the Government to ensure that young people’s needs are met.” The report said it had heard no calls during its evidence sessions for the former careers service – Connexions – to be brought back. But it also found that the Government’s rationale for shifting responsibility for careers advice to schools was “less clear”.

Ministers said it was part of wider attempts to give schools more autonomy, the report added, but a case had not been made to the committee that schools are best placed to provide independent advice to young people.

The committee said that since the changes are now in place it would lead to “greater uncertainty and upheaval” if the system were to be altered further, which would affect young people.

It called on schools to make careers guidance a priority within their own budgets - they were not given extra funding to provide the service - and recommended that schools are not given more money to fund it.

A new National Careers Service (NCS) was launched by the Government last year, but it does not have a remit to work with schools, and young people do not have access to face-to-face advice, the report said.