Labour’s careers advice promise fails to involve recruiters

The recruitment industry appears to have been left out of the loop under a Labour Party election campaign promise to deliver guaranteed face-to-face careers advice to secondary pupils.
Thu, 9 Apr 2015The recruitment industry appears to have been left out of the loop under a Labour Party election campaign promise to deliver guaranteed face-to-face careers advice to secondary pupils.

The party also promised this morning that under a Labour government teenagers would receive advice about high quality apprenticeships and technical degrees, as well as traditional academic routes into universities.

Recruiter contacted the Labour Party to find out if the recruitment sector would be involved in the design of the advice or would have any other role to play but was told the party would not be releasing any further information than that contained in today’s statement.

Labour also said schools would be held to account for the careers advice programmes they offer.

The party said in a statement the reforms were necessary to tackle a “serious decline” in the quality of careers advice to school children, adding four in five schools are offering inadequate careers advice, that often just points young people to online information.

Recruiters often complain school leavers have no insight into the world of work. Recruiter raised the issue of how the industry can help school students with their career choices and employability in August 2014's issue.

Commenting on the proposals, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s head of policy Kate Shoesmith said in a statement the recruitment industry should have a role to play in providing this advice.

“Recruiters are well-placed to help students and jobseekers prepare for the world of work by giving them insight to the skills and attributes that employers are looking for. We’re encouraging our members to build links with schools, and also with Jobcentre plus, so that they can provide this kind of expertise.”

While under the plans schools and employers would work together to offer work experience, employer talks and mentoring for young people, the recruitment industry does not appear to have a more structured role to play under the proposals.

  • What do you think? Has this election proposal missed the chance to involve the recruitment industry in early careers advice? The Comment box is at the bottom of the page. Sorry for the glitch but just scroll right down and share your opinions!

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