CAREERS ADVICE FOR ADULTS: £9 SAVED FOR EVERY £1 SPENT.

Many young people will be opening their exam results with some breathing a sense of relief or others taking a sharp intake of breath knowing their results fall short of expectations. At this time of the year, schools, colleges and universities work extremely hard to ensure good support systems are in place for those most in need. But what happens when the next academic year begins in September and young people’s course choice or career decisions remain unclear? Worried parents or carers need to know where their children can turn to for careers support during a period of uncertainty. At best the current state of play for young school leavers in England can be characterised (in post-August 2018) as a ‘do-it-yourself’ approach.

The Department for Education (DfE) has announced it is publishing shortly a new and long-awaited careers strategy for England. Therefore, it seems timely to share some reflections, given five years ago instigated by Ministers, education, industry and career sector leaders were brought together to provide advice and recommendations to Government on careers provision for young people and adults.

Informal encounters and random acts of kindness from employers, mentors and volunteers alone will not solve much needed careers guidance for Britain’s young people

Last year a quarter of a million students passed GCSE maths, and then dropped the subject completely. With recent YouGov polling indicating that over 80% of business leaders are looking for employees with practical maths skills, the chasm between employers' needs and employees' abilities is growing wider by the day.