Jackie Hartley’s BLOG

At last it appears that someone up there in the ivory towers has realised that adults need careers guidance too. Well that is not strictly fair. We have got a system of providing adult guidance but it is fragmented, targeted and for many potential adult clients, hard to find. Apparently MORI did a survey to check if adults knew what IAG stood for - they didn’t. When they were told it stood Information, Advice and Guidance they responded ‘on what?’. Nice one. Plus the current provision is geared almost at the adult NEETs, well not exactly but at adults who haven’t got many qualifications. Anyway to cut a long story short, it has been decided that in view of the skills shortage in this country…

DIUS and DWP will work together to create a joined-up employment and skills system. We will merge the information and advice services of learndirect and nextstep providers into a new universal adult careers service in England, working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus.The new careers service will ensure that everyone is able to access the help they need to take stock of where they are in achieving their goals and ambitions, and to get the support they need to advance themselves and achieve their full potential.

The full World Class Skills report can be viewed here.
Again, a little bird tells me that the new Adult Advancement and Careers Service will have one phone number, one website and be one service - yippee! Now let’s all begin to imagine what things might look like if that then morphed into one all age careers guidance service for England … aahh, the stuff of dreams.