Article from News BBC
There have been questions about the quality of careers advice
An education charity is to carry out "mystery shopping" tests on the quality of careers advice that young people in England are being given.
The education group Edge, which campaigns to promote vocational education, says it wants to see if individual careers advice is "patchy".
It will use researchers to ring up advisers and find what sort of careers paths are being suggested.
The charity says an inquiry has shown that advice can be "confusing".
"The aim of this is to test the quality of careers services available," said a spokeswoman for Edge.
'Horror stories'
The mystery shoppers, who will be independent researchers, will check the online and phone advice from organisations such as Connexions and Learn Direct.
The charity has funded an inquiry into information, advice and guidance - and will use the evidence to shape the questions posed by the mystery shoppers.
Edge also wants to consult the wider public on "horror stories" of inappropriate careers advice which people have received.
Concerns about careers advice have been raised by surveys.
A poll commissioned by a recruitment firm last autumn found that almost half of young people thought that school careers advice was confusing and unhelpful.
The government carried out its own mystery shopping survey on Connexions Direct during 2006-07, involving almost 1,500 inquiries by phone or online.
This found a generally positive experience in terms of the quality of advice and the manner in which it was delivered. The overall average rating was 7.7 out of 10, with 12% of contacts rated at 10 out of 10.
The Connexions service was introduced by the government as an attempt to improve the information available to 13 to 19-year-olds.
However a Connexions rewards card scheme was scrapped and the current funding is to be devolved to local authorities, with the intention that the Connexions branding will be continued.
We asked for your comments. Here is a selection:
Looking back, I find it extraordinary that the things that are never covered are the basic things that most people need from a job. How much does each career pay (1 year, 5 years, 10 years from now)? What is the deal with things like promotion, job security, hours, working in a team etc? What is the current level of competition for these jobs - if I train, how likely am I to get this job! Instead, it is woolly stuff like "Are your talents verbal, numerical or hand-eye co-ordination?", which is common-sense anyway.
John, London
I think young people should understand that careers advice is about possible routes to success based on current information coupled with the student's interests and skills. It is a guide only and not compulsory. In the late 60's, my own careers advisor said "Oh no dear, there's no future in computing" when she heard what I wanted to do. I'm sure that modern advisors are more helpful.
Janis Young, Penrith/uk
I didn't have any careers advice when I moved from GCSE's to A levels and I didn't receive any *good* careers advice when I moved from A levels to university.
My experience of Connexions has been... well, I'd rate it a 3 (1 being the worst, 10 being the best) out of 10. I don't think they have the necessary support from the Government, I think they're very short on money and haven't particularly had the right resources or understanding to actually help youths with their problems.
Alison, UK
Well I completely disagree. Connexions have been nothing but excellent in helping me. The personal adviser I saw helped me land my first job and also recently helped me through my UCAS application to get in the university. Go Connexions!
Chloe, Cornwall
Ignoring the fact that young people can be forced to attend a careers interview or a Connexions centre and hence be somewhat negative, a couple of points to consider: help from school might be from teachers and not trained careers advisers; and some staff in Connexions come with a background in careers (including a one year post-graduate course) but many others are from a youth worker background. The vast majority of Connexions centres in which I've worked have been staffed with excellent advisers, all of whom have had the best interests of the young person at heart - yes, give or take the governmental pressure to get certain 'results'.
Leah, Coventry
I work for a private training provider offering apprenticeships. We find that most young people who join us have had poor experiences with careers advisors, and end up getting advice about their future from us! Connexions seems to be all about numbers and statistics and not about empowering young people to better their careers.
Mandy, Croydon
The careers adviser at our school advised me to become a TV aerial erector, despite the fact I was applying to Cambridge at the time. Strikes me that if you end up as a careers adviser then you really don't know how to get a good career...
Jack, Newcastle
The main problem with Connexions is that if you're not asking a 'typical' question or you are just outside their age limit then they can't help you. I think it's crazy to think that as soon as you hit 20 you no longer need careers advice!
Anon, Kent
I told the advisor I wanted to study maths at university and, after spouting much useless nonsense, she concluded that I should go to university and study maths, which, of course, i did, no thanks to her.
Dave, Leeds
I recall an electronic careers quiz at secondary school recommending I become a bingo caller. I didn't heed the advice.
Tom Grundy, Hong Kong
My youngest son had to arrange his own work experience because the person who was supposed to do this at his school couldn't be bothered to do so. He wanted to try a week at the nearest main-line railway station and she wanted him to work in a care home. He eventually became a police officer using his own initiative, with no help from his school careers advisor. I doubt if these advisors actually live in the real world.
Patricia Roberts, Sheerness UK
I've never really liked careers advice, but mine was ridiculous, especially when it came to A level options. I told my school advisor that I wanted to do Modern Foreign Languages at university and she simply replied, "Just do English instead." FOREIGN seems to be a slight clue where I want to go? Then, advising me on my last option she told me to take one subject purely because "my result would look good on the league table."
I think that's the problem with schools these days - they're constantly worrying about league tables, inspections and standards, and in all of that they forget the most important people in school; the pupils. No wonder there are so many young people who don't aspire to much in life.
Sophie, Peterlee, County Durham
Article from News BBC
