Careers Advice Our future. It's in our hands

For adults looking for advice, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC)’s travelling Careers Advice booth arrives on January 21st, 2010 and will be based at Princes Quay Shopping Centre, from 9.30am to 5:30pm. The booth will be manned by experts from the three agencies that offer information and employment advice in England. Advisers from the Careers Advice Service, nextstep and Jobcentre Plus will be on hand to help passers-by plan their next career move or progress in their career.

With unemployment in Yorkshire and the Humber rising by 6,000 in December 2009, taking the total number of people out of work in the region to 239,000*, the Careers Advice booth will also give people who are currently unemployed the chance to receive face-to-face advice on how to gain new skills to improve their job prospects in the familiar setting of Princes Quay. Those who are unable to visit the Careers Advice booth next week can still get help from the Careers Advice Service by calling 0800 100 900 or visiting www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice.

Philippa Lester, Skills Development Director at the LSC in Hull says: “The Careers Advice booth is a great way of giving people living in and around North Humberside the opportunity to meet Careers Advisers and get first hand advice on getting into work or progressing further in their careers.

“Over the next 10 years, it will become increasingly difficult to get a job without any basic qualifications[1]. This campaign will help provide valuable information about the opportunities for individuals to develop their skills in order to improve their prospects at work and get on in life. There has never been a better time for individuals to actively consider learning new skills, or even building on their existing skills.”

The Careers Advice Service provides free, impartial and confidential advice for those interested in learning a new skill; who want to find information on different courses or get further details of the funding options open to them.

To speak to a Careers Advice Service adviser call 0800 100 900 (8am to 10pm, seven days a week) or visit www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice.

Adults looking for advice on their jobs, training, or who would like to find out about financial support and ways to get started in a new career, can also visit their local nextstep centre.

The nextstep service offers free face to face careers information and advice to adults. nextstep provides help and support in updating skills, training, learning and work. The service is available throughout England. The nextstep advisers are able to provide careers information and advice based on detailed knowledge of the learning and work opportunities available locally.

The regional nextstep helpline number is 0845 0521 040; http://www.nextstepyorkshireandthehumber.org.uk/