Inverness and Nairn became the first area in Scotland to hold a local advisory board meeting for Careers Scotland today (Tuesday, 17 July, 2001).

Careers Scotland - the national, all age careers guidance service, was announced by the Scottish Executive earlier this year to make it easier for more people to access appropriate and high quality careers guidance.

When it is officially launched next year, Careers Scotland will align the roles currently performed by careers companies, adult guidance networks, education business partnerships and lifelong learning partnerships in the northern and western half of Scotland with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) - the area's development agency.

Catriona Eagle, who will become the new director of Careers Scotland for the Highlands and Islands next month (August) attended todays local advisory board for the Inverness and Nairn area. Local advisory boards for each of the other nine local enterprise company (LEC) areas will be held in the coming weeks.

These shadow boards will over the coming months provide a smooth transition to Careers Scotland which comes into being from April next year.