UNISON is campaigning to stop the rot of neglect in the careers advice service for both young people and adults.
The adult guidance service is currently under threat with contracts for delivering national careers services (NCS) increasingly being awarded on cost alone.
It is becoming ‘digital by default’ in order to align the NCS to the government strategy to deliver most of the service through digital and social media.
This has national implications for the quality, type and access to adult careers guidance and will do nothing to address the attainment and employment levels of people with literary levels below level 2, which is over 18% of the population.
Assumptions are also made about the level, quality and type of access to digital services. There is a limit to the type of CV or application form that can be developed on a smart phone. All of this will make the social disadvantage that currently exists worse.
The wider campaign
UNISON believes that careers advice is far too important to be a political football and the service has been neglected for far too long.
The union believes that young people deserve better and that good career guidance is critical if young people are to raise their aspirations and capitalise on the opportunities available to them.
Changes in technology and in the labour market means that increasing numbers of jobs require specific education and training. Key to this is access to good quality face to face guidance by fully qualified careers practioners.
UNISON is campaigning to strengthen the statutory duties and to seek amendments to the Education Act to make face to face guidance a mandatory provision and to reinstate the provision for schools to provide careers education which should commence at year 8.
How you can help
We are asking members to write to their MP to raise the issue of careers advice. We want MPs to write to the Nick Boles, Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise, ask a question in parliament and initiate a short debate
UNISON briefing. The Careers Service: the government’s elephant in the room
Model letter and core information
