Connexions hailed by Audit Office

The Connexions Service represents a radical change in the delivery
of guidance to young people, according to a National Audit Office
report published last week.

Head of the NAO Sir John Bourn said Connexions had made
“significant progress” in a relatively short period of time towards
reducing the proportion of young people not in education,
employment or training.

However, the report identifies that the service may not be reaching
all the young people it is meant to assist. Far fewer personal
advisers are in post than envisaged because the service has had to
operate with far fewer resources than anticipated.

The report also highlights that, while most personal advisers hold
professional qualifications, only half started their
Connexions-specific training.

The NAO recommends that a clear target date be set for advisers to
have completed training and that the Department for Education and
Skills develop performance indicators for the range of services
provided for young people by Connexion partnerships.

– Report from www.nao.org.uk