Careers adviser (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland): Job description and activities

In Scotland, careers advisers work for Careers Scotland . Careers Scotland is part of Skills Development Scotland , a skills body set up to help create a better qualified workforce and help people in Scotland who lose their jobs. Careers Scotland is an all-age service, meaning that their advisers work in a range of settings with a variety of clients, including:

pupils in all secondary schools, where every young person is entitled to a one-to-one interview;
16-19 year olds, with particular emphasis on the NEET (not in education, employment or training) cohort;
adults who are not currently in employment but are seeking work.

Advisers work closely to assess their client’s needs and may make referrals to multiple agencies.

In Northern Ireland, careers advisers work for the Careers Service Northern Ireland , which is part of the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI) . The service has a network of careers offices mostly within job centres or benefits offices. This allows careers advisers access to the job centre vacancy service to help in their work with unemployed young people or adults who are unemployed or considering a career change. Similar to Scotland, the service is an all-age service working with people from secondary school age to adults.

In Wales, careers advisers work for Careers Wales . The service was set up in 2001 to bring together six separate careers services under one national umbrella service, funded by the Welsh Assembly. As with the Scotland and Northern Ireland services, this is an all-age guidance service with the remit of helping people through lifelong career planning. Advisers work in all schools and colleges, but the service also operates from a network of careers centres, careers shops or, in rural areas, community access points and mobile units (covering mid Wales). In the youth (16-19 year olds) arm of this service, personal advisers work intensively with disadvantaged young people.

For more information see Careers adviser/personal adviser.

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