As practitioner, I'm interested in this issue of individual career choice in relation to economic need e.g. we have a shortage of plumbers so it makes sense to encourage take-up of plumbing. Labour Market Information (local, regional, national and international) is an important aspect of guidance and, ideally, should contribute to the decision making process. What is the point of training, gaining qualifications and experience in an occupational route that is in decline or has few opportunities in your travel to work area? Of course, its never quite that simple, and for a number of reasons:

In my own experience, using the example of plumbers, the scarcity of plumbers does not necessarily translate into training opportunities for plumbers. Careers Advisers throughout Britain could probably provide evidence of insufficient training places at the local level, where recruitment shortages exist. What do you tell the client in this case? We need plumbers but it's unlikely that you'll be able to train unless you have a relation or friend in the business who can provide a placement.

A client who pursues a career of little interest to them but does so with the aim of satisfying economic needs is unlikely to derive job satisfaction and, in the longer term, is likely to look for a move. Retention is as important an issue as recruitment for most employers.

Although good careers guidance should provide labour market information to include likely opportunities and development / promotion prospects in the career under discussion, the role of the guidance practitioner is not a kind of social engineering so that if 10 plumbers are required, we are deemed successful if we have directed 10 people into plumbing. The role of the guidance practitioner is to empower the client with the knowledge, understanding and skills to make appropriate career decisions throughout their working lives based on all relevant information. This includes, for example, self-awareness in terms of skills, interests, values, likes and dislikes, current (and potential) qualifications and skills levels. Labour market information in terms of skills shortages is part of this 'relevant information'. The role of the guidance practitioner is also to inject realism into the decision making process, challenging inconsistencies. The choice is the client's. If the client chooses to undertake a Media course then so be it. What is important, is that the choice is based on relevant and up to date information and all options have been considered (including destination data from Media courses!).