Connexions may lose careers brief

The government is considering removing responsibility for the
delivery of careers guidance from the Connexions service, it was
revealed last week

Speaking in the House of Commons, education minister Kim Howells
said that the government would include proposals on careers advice
in the youth green paper due out in January.

Shadow minister for young people Charles Hendry MP said that the
holistic nature of Connexions and the emphasis on targeted support
was “diluting the expertise of careers advisers and reducing any
sense that this is a universal service”.

His comments were supported by the findings of a report by the
House of Commons public accounts committee. It says that while
Connexions is significantly reducing the proportion of 16 to 18
year olds who are not in education, employment or training, there
is a risk that other young people may not always receive the advice
they need.

But National Youth Agency chief executive Tom Wylie said that, if
careers advice was taken away from Connexions, the new service
would have to be able to provide independent guidance.

He warned against schools being made the new careers guidance
providers as they had a financial interest in keeping children at
their school.

• The public accounts committee report is available at www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk