If elected, a Labour Government would transform careers advice in high schools to ensure every student has a personalised career plan, says party leader Andrew Little.

This week Labour announced a $30 million plan that would see schools partner with business and training providers to deliver up-to-date and relevant careers advice that prepares young people for the future.

This week Labour leader Andrew Little announced a $30 million plan that would overhaul schools' career advice. File Photo

'Labour's plan will professionalise careers advice and integrate it into learning. Every school will have highly trained, skilled careers advice staff,” explains Andrew.

'As the world of work changes, careers advice can no longer be seen as an add-on, delivered by already overstretched teaching staff.”

Andrew says Labour would also help more young people into apprenticeships by making taking on apprentices a condition of winning major government projects, and of participating in the KiwiBuild programme.

This would be in addition to Labour's Dole for Apprenticeships scheme, which subsidises employers to take on apprentices using the money they would otherwise receive as a benefit along with the party's commitment to three years' free post-school education and training.

He says currently there are 87,200 young New Zealanders not in employment, education or training and that 'cannot go on”.

'We have seen through our Future of Work Commission that in the rapidly changing world of work young New Zealanders need to develop a wide range of skills and attributes that will serve them well throughout their working lives.

'Labour's plan will ensure every young New Zealander has the best shot at a great working life,” says Andrew.

The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers' Association welcomes Labour's plan, with president Angela Roberts saying dedicated careers guidance for all secondary school students would have a big impact on New Zealand's future.

Angela also appreciated that advice would be available for all students, rather than targeted only at those who were at risk.

'PPTA has called for targeted staffing allowances for careers advisors in the past and it looks like that is what Labour is offering with this policy,” says Angela.

But she believes it is also important to have a careers advisor who was a trained teacher with the experience and skills to work with young adults.

What is important is that these people are able to have the tools to be able to tailor the right opportunity to the right student at the right time, says Angela.

'It's not a shortage of information, it's about people who can recognise the needs of the students and link them up with the information they need.

The professional development for careers advisors in this package was something PPTA has been calling for a long while, she said.

'Access to personalised advice rather than just generic information is what's really good about this. It's not just a website where students go and look at what careers earn the most.

'It's training people who are good at working with students to give them guidance that links to their needs,” says Angela.