05 Jan 2009
As of October 2008 the adult careers advice and guidance service, which had formally been administered by learndirect, transitioned to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Upon transition its name changed to the Careers Advice Service.
The Careers Advice Service is the impartial careers advice service, offering adults advice about their career options and how to improve and access skills and training.
The Careers Advice Service has an important symbiotic partnership with the “Our future. It’s in our hands.” Skills Campaign. The Careers Advice Service will play a key role in moving individuals from awareness of the need to improve skills to converting this awareness by working as the call-to-action on Skills Campaign communications. The first iteration of this relationship began when a refreshed burst of the Skills Campaign TV advertising began on 29 December for three weeks when the end frame will signpost viewers to the Careers Advice Service to find out more about improving skills and training. There will also be new Careers Advice Service TV and radio advertising from 12 January. As 2009 progresses the two campaigns will become even more entwined. Watch out for these exciting developments!
So what will the Careers Advice Service offer?
Adults can access the Careers Advice Service either via telephone on 0800 100 900 or through its website at www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice. The website offers a wide variety of online tools to help adults get on with identifying their skills needs and occupational options. These include:
-
The Career Values Tool which asks a series of questions which reveal how an individual makes decisions and what they value in a job. It also shows how previous/prospective jobs fit with an individual’s career values
-
The Skills and Interests Tool takes an individual through a 7-step questionnaire to help them identify their strengths/weaknesses and hone their likes and dislikes. At the end of the process, the tool provides them with a list of what life skills they possess. This is an important step in figuring out what jobs are appropriate and will help them when building the perfect CV
-
The CV Building Tool is a 12-step CV-building process which enables an individual to answer questions, fill in details and talk about their interests, resulting in a bespoke CV based on their responses
-
Skills Workouts which provide a series of online mini-tests to help individuals to practice and prepare for the workforce. These skills ‘workouts’ include tests on making a first impression, determining skills and strengths, what makes a good CV, filling out application forms, covering letters, personalising CVs, and cultural differences in the UK job market
Important things to note about this change
The most important thing to note about this change is that the Careers Advice Service remains the impartial, careers advice and guidance service for adults. learndirect is still in existence as a private operator so it is important to ensure that adults seeking careers advice or guidance are signposted to the Careers Advice Service in its new form.
Get involved!
For further information on the Careers Advice Service please visit the website www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice.
|
© Cogent SSC Ltd 2009 | Developed by 
