News

Which? survey finds one third of young people miss out on one-to-one advice

1 min read Education Youth Work
More than a third of under 19-year-olds received no one-to-one advice from a teacher or careers adviser when choosing whether or not to pursue higher education, a survey by the consumer group Which? has found.

The Which? research found that 39 per cent of prospective students had no access to one-to-one advice, whilst a further 43 per cent of young people would have liked more information, particularly about their employment prospects and the types of courses available to them.

Extrapolated based on the number of under 19-year-olds who go to university annually, Which? estimated that more than 150,000 prospective students each year are making one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives without vital information.

Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?, described the number of young people missing out on information, advice and guidance as “worrying”.

“This has huge implications for their future and finances, so it’s vital that they choose the right course and university for them,” he said.

“Young people are taking out huge loans to pay for university, so they should seek independent advice as anyone would when making such an important financial decision, especially in the current financial climate.

“As the government devolves responsibility for careers advice to schools, head teachers must ensure that young people are getting the advice they need.”

The consumer rights group is launching a free website in partnership with the National Union of Students (NUS) this September, which will provide information on university options to teachers, careers advisers, parents and young people.

Liam Burns, NUS president, said the website would attempt to provide both comprehensive and easy to access information.

He explained: “As universities are increasingly competing with each other in a market and therefore cannot provide the impartial resources prospective applicants need, and as the government will not do so, we look forward to working with Which?.”

Register Now to Continue Reading

Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's Included

  • Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month

  • Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here


More like this

Hertfordshire Youth Workers

“Opportunities in districts teams and countywide”

Administration Apprentice

SE1 7JY, London (Greater)