The Advice and Guidance qualifications have been designed to provide the necessary skills for those working or wishing to work in this industry. The qualifications provide the knowledge required to work with legislative and procedural frameworks, understanding and promoting careers education guidance within organisations and working with other services through negotiation, liaison and referral.

These qualifications provide the necessary skills for those working or wishing to work in the Advice and Guidance sector. The Level 3 Certificate is for those in a role which involves providing advice and guidance directly to clients, reporting to line management as well as associated services. They may also supervise and support other staff members.

There is a wide and diverse range of organisations in Wales that employ individuals to provide information, advice and guidance related services including but not limited to local authorities, careers advice services, voluntary sector organisations, student services, prisons and probation services, and government departments.

Within these organisations there is an equally wide and diverse range of occupational areas and/or job roles that involve providing information, advice and/or guidance to members of the public or to other members of staff within an organisation. This includes for example, job roles within visitor centres, customer/client services, help-lines, citizen advice, employment related services, Jobcentres, careers guidance and so on. In fact, there are now an increasing number of organisations providing information, advice and/or guidance in specialist areas such as careers, educational choices, money management, pensions, housing, debt, benefits and consumer advice, as well as various types of social support.

In addition, many people work in roles where they may not even be aware they are offering an advice and guidance service, or for whom advice and guidance is only part of their role. For example, those working within an HR department, police, teachers, doctors, nurses, carers, fitness coaches, training coaches, and training advisers – the list is endless. In addition, the number of call centres, which also offer advice and guidance continues to grow to meet increased consumer demand.