To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning for an update on the work undertaken by his Department to provide a focused career guidance service for young people.

My Department’s Careers Service continues to provide an impartial, careers information, advice and guidance service to young people and adults throughout Northern Ireland.

In line with the Key Actions in the Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Strategy, launched jointly by the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Education in 2009, my department has undertaken the following work to provide a focused career guidance service for young people:-

•the recruitment of additional Careers Advisers to focus and address the needs of young people at year 10;

•improved the Partnership Agreements with post primary schools to raise the aspirations and achievements of young people by providing appropriate and timely careers information, advice and guidance to pupils in years 10 to 14;

•launched Industry Factsheets covering a variety of occupations and providing information on job prospects, relevant skills, entry requirements and skill shortages within each of the Sector Skills Council areas providing invaluable support to clients of all ages;

•undertaken an independent review of the two Careers Resource Centres operating in Belfast and Londonderry concluding that the Careers Resource Centre model is contributing positively to the delivery of careers services; the Department is currently considering the future potential for this approach;

•maintained a careers information, advice and guidance service to Providers of Alternative Education across Northern Ireland through Partnership Agreements; and

•continued the active role of Careers Advisers in the Transition Planning Process of pupils with statements of special educational need.

Extensive careers information, including information about a wide range of occupations and the local labour market, is available on the Careers Service website: www.careersserviceni.com