In October 2009, as a commitment from the Children’s Plan, the Government published a strategy for young people’s information, advice and guidance (IAG): Quality, choice and aspiration.
The document sets out the Government’s plans to modernise IAG and careers education to help all young people to respond to a dynamic and global labour market, to tackle low expectations and to help young people raise their aspirations.
The strategy places schools and colleges at the heart of IAG and careers education delivery. It introduces both a pupil guarantee and a parent guarantee. All pupils are to be guaranteed access to high quality careers education and IAG so they can make informed choices about learning, work and lifestyles and are well supported during transitions. Parents are to be guaranteed receiving high quality information and advice on the career and subject choices open to their child.
The strategy includes an ambition to extend the statutory duty to provide careers education up to age 18, in line with the raising of the participation age in learning. It also introduces further support for mentoring, work experience and schools higher education links.
Alongside this strategy the Government published statutory guidance for schools on impartial careers education. In 2010 the Government plans to publish statutory guidance and directions for local authorities on the management of their responsibilities for IAG for young people. This is in advance of a formal review in September 2011 of the quality and effectiveness of local authorities IAG services.
The strategy also highlights the need for high quality training and support for careers coordinators in schools and all careers professionals. It announced plans to establish a task force on the careers profession, to report in summer 2010.
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