| Abstract: | The UK Learndirect helpline, launched in February 1998, is the largest telephone helpline service in the guidance field so far developed in the world. By the end of 2000 it had responded to 2.4 million calls. The development of the helpline is placed in the context of the transformations in service delivery in other sectors, including the growth of callcentres and helplines. The use of the telephone in career guidance, both in the UK and elsewhere, is reviewed. The evolution of Learndirect is described, with particular attention to its policy context. The current operation of the service is outlined, including its extent, availability, staffing and users. Finally, a number of issues illuminated by the experiences of Learndirect are identified, including the place of in-depth guidance within helpline services, their relationship to wider guidance provision, their impartiality, their framing in relation to national/local, adult/all-age and learning/career dimensions, the synergy of helplines with other forms of technically mediated service delivery, and the implications of helpline work for the professional development of guidance staff. |
