Adults most likely to fall through the cracks when it comes to finding meaningful work in their later years are those in the workforce’s middle class — those who have neither a sophisticated network of professional contacts nor are sufficiently destitute to be a target for re-skilling programmes.

“I think that group faces significant problems”, said Professor Mike Campbell, development director of the Sector Skills Development Agency, speaking at a roundtable discussion on 14 September. The roundtable accompanied the launch of a report on careers advice and the UK skills gap, both of which were sponsored by recruitment firm Harvey Nash.

Harvey Nash chief executive Albert Ellis said that IT technical professionals are among those who may experience career dislocation problems, after having enjoyed a heyday “as the darlings of the 90s”, if they have not developed their client-facing skills along with learning new technologies.

Scotland is the only UK nation with a careers advice service aimed at adults, Campbell said. However, the Leitch Review of Skills in England, for which Campbell was an adviser, has recommended the implementation of a universal skills service for adults in and out of work.

Campbell also sounded a call for revising the traditional view of career services aimed at youth to reflect changes in how they seek information and careers advice. Informal sources such as social networking sites online are likely to provide the kind of personalised approach, customised to their ‘profiles’, and peer-to-peer interaction that will successfully influence their decisions.

“Institutional solutions are not the only way you want to go”, Campbell said.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 10th, 2007 at 3:17 pm and is filed under News & Events.