7.4

Young people

Quality, choice and aspiration: a strategy for young people's information, advice and guidance


The Department for Children, Schools and Families launched ‘Quality, Choice and Aspiration' in late 2009. This strategy for young people's information, advice and guidance (IAG) is expected to play a significant role in supporting the skills development of young people in England, and in particular to raise the aspirations of those from disadvantaged backgrounds and to encourage social mobility.

The strategy was influenced by the report ‘Fair Access to the Professions', which was produced by a dedicated panel chaired by Rt Hon Alan Milburn MP. This report put some emphasis on the role of IAG in social mobility, and heavily criticised aspects of existing provision. The Fair Access report made many recommendations on IAG, and several of these have been taken forward within the IAG strategy.

The strategy includes an IAG Guarantee which entitles young people in school to:

  • support from a Personal Tutor who knows them well and who can help them to access specialist advice and ensure any learning needs or issues are quickly addressed
  • high quality programmes of careers education which help young people to plan and manage their own careers
  • impartial information, advice and guidance about learning and work options including about Apprenticeships, Diplomas, Foundation Learning and GCSEs/A levels
  • information, advice and guidance about the benefits of higher education and how to access the opportunities that it affords
  • a programme of work related learning (in Years 10 and 11), giving young people direct insights into the world of work.

All young people are entitled to access, through wider commissioned services:

  • one to one advice and support from a local specialist Connexions adviser when needed
  • information and advice by telephone and online every day (including evenings and weekend) through Connexions Direct
  • further specialist support from local services as needed
  • information on all local learning programmes for 14-19 year olds via their local 14-19 prospectus
  • support for young people to move to adult information, advice and guidance services when they reach the appropriate age
  • the ability to apply for post-16 learning opportunities on-line through a Common Application Process by 2011.

The strategy heavily emphasises the importance of work-based learning and experiences of work (including virtual work placements), specifically identifying mentoring as a tool which can support both this aim and the aim to raise aspirations.

Modernising IAG provision through extending the use of ICT is another aim of the strategy. The paper states that ‘young people today want and expect to secure IAG from a range of sources beyond formal careers advice' and want to ‘access information online, and to make use of new interactive technologies'.

Examples of proposed innovations include supporting the development of:

  • online/virtual work tasters to give young people insight into career options, focused on the professions
  • moderated chat rooms
  • message boards
  • webcam facilities for face-to-face discussions with an adviser.

Thus the strategy is explicit about exploring online guidance - it is not just about online information resources.