§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that the substantial involvement of the careers service in the youth opportunities programme is not detracting from careers work in schools and colleges of further education.
§ Mr. Peter Morrison[pursuant to his reply, 17 February 1981, c. 92]: Yes. The youth opportunities programme is an integral part of the provision made by this Government to provide employment and vocational preparation opportunities for young people. The involvement of the careers service in the programme is crucial to the basic objective of the service, to help individuals leaving full-time education to make a satisfactory transition from school or college to working life.
The determination of the priorities for action by individual careers services is for each local education authority and there is no evidence that, in general, the work of the service in schools and colleges is regarded as being in any way less appropriate or relevant today than in the past.
247WThe Government directly fund a number of additional posts in the careers service specifically to help in its work with young unemployed people, particularly in connection with the youth opportunities programme.