Students rue poor careers advice

Students said they wanted better careers advice at school

Many UK undergraduates think the careers advice they received at school was poor, a survey suggests.

The poll of more than 1,000 students found two thirds (66%) wished they had received better advice at school on choosing careers and degree courses.

And 58% wished they had had the chance to combine academic and practical choices at school.

But the Association of Colleges survey also found 59% thought doing A-levels had prepared them well for university.

More than half (55%) of the 1,027 respondents from universities across the UK thought schools steered pupils to courses which the school did best, rather than ones which best suited the pupils.

And 67% thought students with practical skills such as IT or business administration tended to be more employable.

'Silent majority'

"This survey shows students aren't confident that they were properly served by curriculum and careers advice at school, and so may cast doubt on their degree options," said Maggie Scott, director of learning at the Association of Colleges.

"This survey gives voice to the silent majority who have not been well served by school careers advice.

"AoC would like to see systematic monitoring of the new system of careers guidance to ensure that advice is readily available, impartial and puts the learner's voice first."

The curriculum had been too inflexible for many, Ms Scott said.

The Department for Education and Skills said good careers and education guidance was "vital" for ensuring young people made the right decisions.

"The first step is to make sure that there are no barriers to learning and we will continue to work to raise standards to make sure all young people have the skills they need," a spokesperson said.

Greater choice in what young people could study was being delivered through the 14-19 reforms and 14 new specialised diplomas would transform the opportunities available to young people, he said.

The intention is to make those diplomas available from 2013.