Inspiration and Aspiration

A six month inquiry by the Skills Commission into information, advice and guidance (IAG) services in England makes several recommendations about how IAG can be improved for young people, higher education students and adults.

Among the main recommendations, the Commission advocates that the Government should:

• update the delivery model for IAG services to ensure that people have access to websites where they can find information about training routes and use forums to discuss different careers with those who have experienced them
  
• ensure that people have online access to careers advisers so that resources can be directed towards those who would benefit from speaking to a careers adviser when looking for employment such as older people, those that need to re-skill and up-skill, and those with long-term health problems or disability.

The Commission makes three specific recommendations relating to young people’s IAG:

• Local authorities must ensure that they devote sufficient funds to Connexions and that the service delivers high quality, impartial careers guidance for all young people.
  
• Scrutiny bodies both in Parliament and at local authority level must review local authority delivery of Connexions and assess whether sufficient levels of funding are being invested in the service.
  
• The Government should make it a statutory duty for learning providers to ensure that young people receive careers education up to the age of eighteen.

Download a copy of the full report at http://www.edge.co.uk/docs/content/sc_iag_inquiry_final_report.pdf