There is a need for better information that is devoid of the hype seen in the newspapers, on where the government see the future for the economy - will we still continue to manufacture or is the intention to have a service led economy? What the career opportunities are both now and in the future (20 years ago IT was hardly on the radar. This is not about social engineering, the individual needs to be satisfied with their career choice, after all, this is their life.

Where I have to disagree however, is on the freedom of that choice. I accept fully that the individual must always make the final decision, however we cannot get away from the need for the choice to be exercised in the wider context of the needs of the economy. Failure to ensure that sufficient people go into the right careers will result in a mismatch between the skills needed and the skills available. This can only harm the economy, forcing existing industry to relocate or close down - something that is already happening in areas with many businesses importing staff from the continent to maintain their operations.

Certainly I am not advocating that people take on menial poorly paid work, quite the opposite. What is important is that the careers people choose add value to the economy, that they have better earning potential and the opportunity to grow