Career guidance could help make the labour market more efficient and save the State up to £50 million a year, according to Roisin Kelleher, president of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors. She was addressing the IGC's annual conference in Tullamore, Co Offaly, this weekend.

The Minister for Education and Science, Micheal Martin, told the conference a weekly minimum of eight hours' guidance will be provided to all second-level schools from September. "When one considers that about 10,000 students drop out of third level each year, the total cost to the state amounts to £50 million," Kelleher said. "This process appears to be repeated year after year." She called for more guidance counsellors and resources. The current situation is "completely unsatisfactory", she said. "There is little or no guidance and counselling for students in junior cycle."