LONDON, February 6 /PRNewswire/ -- A company which has over a decade of experience providing information, advice and guidance services to young people across the country will soon be helping young people in Leeds make important decisions about their future.

Prospects Services Ltd. is to take over the delivery of Connexions Services in Leeds from 1st April for the next three years (with options to extend this for a further two years), following a rigorous procurement and assessment process by Leeds City Council's Integrated Youth Support Service.

Councillor Stewart Golton, the executive member for Children's Services, welcomed the appointment saying:

As a city we need the best information, advice, and guidance possible for the young people of Leeds, especially given the current economic climate. Prospects will bring a great deal of expertise to the city itself and will help many young people make the right choices for their future.

Prospects has more than a decade of experience in delivering services to 14 to 19-year-olds (up to 25 for those with learning difficulties and disabilities) all around the country. From April, Prospects will be providing information, advice and guidance, and Connexions services to young people in 21 local authority areas.

Prospects offers a wide range of education, guidance, training and employment services - extending from Barrow to Brighton and the West Country to Norfolk. The company is already established in Yorkshire; it has been delivering adult IAG services in Sheffield since 2004 and is one of the partner companies that make up Careers Yorkshire and the Humber, the prime contractor for nextstep in the region.

Prospects' Executive Chairman Ray Auvray said:

We are delighted to be working with Leeds City Council to develop further their young people's information, advice and guidance services.

Prospects will be building on the good work of previous provider Igen Ltd. Our intention is to create an excellent youth support service which is seen as leading national developments and to work with Leeds City Council to help deliver its ambitious plans for the city.

Recognising Leeds' important position, Prospects will be locating its north of England head office in the city. We are impressed by Leeds' plans to develop itself as a city of learning and want to play our part in that development.

The assessment process leading to the award of the contract was detailed and in-depth. The assessment panel drew its members from a wide range of key stakeholders, including representatives from education, schools, colleges, the voluntary sector and youth services.

Overall, the feeling of the panel was that Connexions services in Leeds had been very good over a number of years and Prospects Services offered additional commitment and expertise and were ideally placed to build on its current success.

About Prospects

Prospects is one of the United Kingdom's leading providers of education, training and guidance services. With some 1,100 staff and 400 consultants working out of over 60 offices and centres around the country, we provide a wide range of services to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, Learning and Skills councils, Ofsted, local authorities, schools and colleges, employers and others.

For Press enquiries contact: Julie Moore, Head of Marketing and Communications, Tel: +44(0)121-521-2302, Email: julie.moore@prospects.co.uk ; For Media enquiries contact: Emma Whittell, Leeds City Council Press Office, Tel: +44(0)113-247-4713, Email: emma.whittell@leeds.gov.uk .

For Press enquiries contact: Julie Moore, Head of Marketing and Communications, Tel: +44(0)121-521-2302, Email: julie.moore@prospects.co.uk ; For Media enquiries contact: Emma Whittell, Leeds City Council Press Office, Tel: +44(0)113-247-4713, Email: emma.whittell@leeds.gov.uk .