Into Work

The key to both the problems and successes of Bristol's educational provision lie with the link man, Brian Dyer, the chief youth employment officer. For him and his staff each school and college is a territory and each firm a target. Working from a centralized base of one office in the city centre, Mr Dyer runs a somewhat sophisticated careers' advisory centre. Each of his careers' advisers deals with a group of schools, visiting each once a week and liaising with the careers' teacher in each school. He feels that his work is made easier by a comprehensive system — but has not changed significantly since his days in Birmingham's selective schools. Overall, with a yearly output of 430 pupils from a large comprehensive school, he realizes that there are inherent problems in dealing with such establishments.