The impact of the 'New Right': Policy challenges confronting careers guidance in England and Wales

The influence of the 'New Right' on careers guidance policy during the Thatcher era is analysed. It is suggested that three main strands of such influence can be discerned: using guidance as a form of social control; supporting guidance as a means of making markets work; and making guidance services themselves more responsive to market forces. The implications of these pressures for guidance philosophy and practice are discussed.