At a glance headlines: November 28, 2013

Young people are not being given information about Apprenticeships and vocational routes, a survey of 2,000 14 to 25-year-olds has found. The survey, by Barclays’ LifeSkills Youth Barometer, found that just 26 per cent received information on Apprenticeships while 17 per cent were told about vocational options. Schools were forced to take over responsibility for careers services in September 2012 after funding for the national Connexions centres was cut, but the CBI said that careers guidance is “facing a crisis”. Its director for employment and skills policy, Neil Carberry, said: “Careers guidance in England’s schools is heading towards a cliff-edge. Advice is scarce for young people not interested in being funnelled towards A levels and university and exciting, potential life-changing career alternatives are being lost. There is a worrying shortage of skills in some of our key industries and if we don’t give young people the information they need this will only get worse.”