Research by the children’s charity found that the abolition of Connexions, the move of the duty to provide careers advice from councils to schools, and the introduction of the National Careers Service had left young people with “wholly inadequate” careers guidance.
The study interviewed 29 15- to 25-year-olds who were vulnerable to ending up not in employment, education or training about the careers advice on offer to them.
It found none of the young people were aware of the online and telephone guidance available from the National Careers Service. The cost of calling the helpline from a mobile phone was cited as a barrier to young people from poor backgrounds using the service.
Many of the young people reported a lack of face-to-face advice from schools and that they did not trust their school to give them impartial careers guidance.
One young person told Barnardo’s: “There was nothing. No talk or lessons or anything. I haven’t missed a lot of school either.”
Another told the charity that he got better careers advice from a chef he met while playing the video game Call of Duty online than he got from his school.
The report also noted that many of the young people were more at home using social networks via their mobile phones than they were at using internet browsers to find information.
The charity also found that young people were still getting careers advice that relied on stereotypes about what jobs were suitable for men and women.
Jonathan Rallings, assistant director of policy at Barnardo’s, said: “Changes to our careers guidance system risk squandering young futures by failing to guarantee sufficient vital face-to-face support for people who need it.
“The near-total lack of awareness amongst the young people interviewed about the government’s website and helpline means that they are effectively offering ‘ghost’ services in the place of meaningful advice.”
In light of the research, Barnardo’s is calling on the National Careers Service to make its helpline free to call from mobiles, to do more to make young people aware of its existence and to offer face-to-face guidance via Skype.
The charity also said policymakers need to be aware that not every young person has easy access to the internet and urged the government to guarantee face-to-face careers advice for all young people who want it.
