News
School Career Advice Teaches the Right Lesson
31 March 2011
Eighty percent of young people value careers advice from schools and teachers, a new study has revealed.
The research is part of a wider study into the provision of advice and guidance for young people across the country, which was undertaken by the National Youth Agency as part of its ongoing work with the Local Government Association, supported by top-sliced funding for local authorities.
A total of 900 young people aged between 14 and 15 years old were asked about their experiences of school careers support through an online survey, which was conducted in October 2010. This was followed up in January 2011 with four online focus groups and four face-to-face consultations with young people.
The findings identified that eight out of ten respondents found school advice useful, with less than a fifth of young people finding it not useful at all.
The survey identified that a majority of careers advice is undertaken in group settings, which young people acknowledged as a useful way of gaining the basics. Many felt that they would like more personalised one-on-one advice to be made available in schools, or more detailed advice to be provided to smaller groups.
Over half of young people interviewed had used the internet to search for advice on potential careers and training and stated that the information sourced was useful for background knowledge, but should not be a replacement for face-to-face advice.
Fiona Blacke, National Youth Agency chief executive, commented: “It is essential young peoples’ views and experiences are taken into account when addressing the provision of information, advice and guidance services.
“Our respondents placed significant value into the advice gained from schools and teachers and expected them to be well informed and up-to-date.
“We also surveyed 500 teachers from across the country and identified that although two thirds of them felt confident about providing advice, only a fifth said they had been provided with formal training and less than half felt well supported.”
These findings now conclude the National Youth Agency’s research into the provision of information, advice and guidance for young people from across the country.
To view the final report visit www.nya.org.uk/policy/research