News
Parents and Carers Key to Information Provision for Young People
24 January 2011
An interim report of young people and teachers’ views on the provision of information and advice on careers options has detailed that over 96 per cent of young people value guidance from parents and carers more than any other source.
The findings are part of ongoing research into the provision of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) in England and builds on initial research that was undertaken in September 2010, undertaken by the National Youth Agency as part of its work with the Local Government Association, supported through topsliced funding for local authorities.
The report presents the views of around 900 young people aged between 14 and 15 years old and around 500 teachers from across the country, gathered through an online survey.
The survey also revealed that two thirds of young people thought that friends were also a useful source of general information, but a quarter thought friends were not at all useful with regards to careers advice and guidance.
A fifth of teachers said they had received training to support them in providing careers-related advice, but less than half of teachers felt well supported with regards to providing IAG.
Fiona Blacke, National Youth Agency chief executive, said: “The findings paint an interesting picture of how IAG is viewed and delivered across the country and builds further upon the initial findings of the small, qualitative pilot study undertaken in the South-West and London in September.
“We are now undertaking our final strand of research, which includes focus groups, both online and face-to-face, to complete the study and provide a comprehensive picture of IAG across England.”
Baroness Shireen Ritchie, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said:
“This research shows just how important it is to make sure young people themselves have a say in how careers advice is provided to them. It is absolutely vital that the voice of young people is heard in the design of any new service so that their specific needs can be catered for.
“The importance of helping young people to identify the path they want to take through life and supporting them at difficult times is fully understood by councils.
“The majority of young people are lucky enough to have trusted adults in their lives who they can talk issues over with. The new careers service for all ages that the government is proposing must provide the right support to parents, teachers and youth workers to help them give the right advice to those young people who turn to them.
“Where children have very difficult backgrounds and benefit from an intensive, professional service, then councils will continue to be responsible for providing all the help they can to the most vulnerable.”
For further information visit www.nya.org.uk/policy/research
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About the National Youth Agency
The National Youth Agency (NYA) works in partnership with a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations to support and improve services for young people. Our particular focus is on youth work and we believe strongly that by investing in young people’s personal and social development, young people are better able to live more active and fulfilling lives.
Working with young people, we advocate for more youth-friendly services and policies. We have four themes:
• Developing quality standards in work with young people
• Supporting services for young people
• Developing the youth workforce
• Promoting positive public perceptions of young people
We deliver our work through training and consultancy, campaigning, publishing and on-line communications. Through our activities we want to ensure that young people have a strong voice and positive influence in our society.
www.nya.org.uk
Our Work with the Local Government Association
The National Youth Agency (NYA) is one of three Education Support Bodies to receive funding through the top-sliced revenue support grant under the Local Government Finance Act 1988. The Local Government Association has oversight of all three bodies, governed by a Memorandum of Understanding, originally with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and now with Communities and Local Government. As the lead national organisation supporting and improving services for young people, this funding supports NYA’s work and promotes the role of local government and its partners in youth policy.
About the Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is one of six organisation that make up the Local Government Group. The LG Group works on behalf of councils to support, promote and improve local government. Our core work is delivered through programmes which bring together our policy work and improvement support to councils.
www.lga.gov.uk