Some young people are not getting the careers advice they need, according to a Commons committee.

The public accounts committee investigated how the Department for Education and Skills and the Connexions Service provided information and found evidence there was a "postcode lottery" of provision.

Publishing the report on Tuesday, chairman Edward Leigh said: "I am pleased to see that Connexions is doing well in getting 16 to 18-year-olds into education, employment or training. But I am concerned that other young people may not always be getting the advice they need.

"For example, there is a range of quality of careers education in schools. Half of schools have been unable to develop the curriculum to include careers education, and in two-thirds of the schools careers education was being led by staff with no formal qualification in the subject.

"The Department for Education and Skills and the Connexions Service need to address variations in provision across the country, and provide local training for teachers and other staff in schools."

Though Connexions is on course to meet its main objective to reduce the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training, there are risks that the wider population of young people may not always get the advice they need.

The department is conducting a review of careers guidance which will inform, and be published alongside, the youth green paper in autumn 2004.

The committee said Connexions should work with schools to help them deliver a good standard of careers education.

The quality of schools' provision for careers education is very variable.

For example, half of the schools surveyed by the National Audit Office claimed they had insufficient time to develop the curriculum to incorporate careers education.

The report recommends that Connexions staff should participate in relevant local training of teachers and other school staff, for example on identifying and referring young people who need advice.