South West Regional Skills Enterprise and Employment Analysis 2007/2008

Final Report

4.14 Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)

4.14.1 Review of IAG

A wide-ranging cross-government Review of IAG for adults is currently taking place (due to report to government ministers shortly) following recommendations outlined in the Government White Paper, Skills: Getting on in Business, getting on in work(75). The paper:

• Acknowledges that many of the objectives for learning and skills can only be met through good information, advice and guidance;
• Sets out a vision for information and advice as being part of a much wider goal to help people make the most of their lives;
• States that everyone should be able to get help if and when they want it:
  o to take stock of where they are in their lives and their careers;
  o to review where they would like to get to; and
  o to assess what steps they can take to get there.

The White Paper’s goal is to have a universally available, high-respected and well-used service offering linked information on jobs, qualifications, training and related services (eg childcare).

It was recommended that any new IAG initiative should make use of existing tools (self-assessment and diagnostic tools) and online telephone and face-to-face guidance, and also offer ‘paid-for’ supplementary guidance services alongside the core free service.

The IAG Review is delayed awaiting consideration of the Leitch Review proposals and is expected to outline what a future service might look like (see below). The Review has, however, already identified key issues(76):

• People don’t always know where to go for advice or understand the options available to them – what is available is consistently up-to-date or comprehensive;
• Those most in need are often the least likely to seek help;
• The help tends to focus more on learning than it does on work and career outcomes, whilst link and referral arrangement between local partners and services vary.

The Review wants to be able to achieve a dynamic, bigger, better and more coherent service covering learning, work and careers. Emerging design principles include, for example:

• A single customer-facing service with strong links to partners, offering choice through a menu of service options accessed online, face-to-face, or over the phone;
• An initial assessment along the lines of a ‘skills MOT’; and
• Continuing support to encourage progression.

The IAG Review is also carrying out a telephone guidance trial to test the feasibility for delivering in-depth personal guidance to adults over the phone.

The Leitch Review has also proposed a new national careers service to ensure that everyone has access to the advice they need to improve their pay and job prospects and build their career in a changing labour market. It proposes bringing together current separate sources of advice and that that the service operate under the already successful and well-known learndirect brand. It also proposes drawing on Jobcentre Plus information and services, so that information on jobs, skills and training can be integrated.

The new service would be responsible for:

• Integrated delivery. Advice delivered through a number of channels and locations, including co-location with Jobcentres to provide a high profile place to go for job search facilities and employment and skills advice;
• Integrated advice. Careers advice based on local labour market information;
• Effective screening. Everyone entitled to a free Skills Health Check to assess their skills needs;
• Being proactive. Reaching out rather than waiting for people to come. The service will be rewarded for raising participation rather than through a block grant;
• Accessibility. Advice delivered through multiple channels, including the internet and a phone line, at a time and location suited to the individual.

(75) Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work. DfES. Published 22 March 2005
(76) IAG Review. Review Progress. www.iagreview.org.uk