Over the past few years there have been some major changes to the ways in which information, advice and guidance about skills, learning and work are delivered to customers. These changes have come about as a direct result of the government’s skills strategy.
The government's skills strategy
The White Paper 21st Century Skills - Realising our Potential 
was launched in 2003. The resulting strategy aims to strengthen the UK’s position as one of the world’s leading economies by ensuring that:
- employers have the skills to support the success of their business; and
- employees have necessary skills to be both employable and personally fulfilled.
The White Paper also:
- stresses the importance that high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG) for adults has to play in meeting the challenges ahead; and
- outlines changes to improve the quality, consistency and visibility of IAG services to adults.
The DfES National Policy Framework 2003 was published after consultation with the guidance sector. It defines at national level:
- the IAG services which adults should be entitled to expect; and
- the standards at which those services should be delivered.
The Policy Framework also:
- includes an action plan setting how good IAG services to adults will be delivered.
LSC strategy - coherent IAG Services for adults published in 2004, sets out:
- a clear vision with a set of aims and actions;
- places IAG at the heart of all LSC-funded provision; and
- illustrates how the services contribute to the LSC’s objectives and targets.
The strategy also outlines how the LSC will deliver the reform of IAG services and implement aspects of the DfES National Policy Framework.