New research from the Skills Commission released ahead of the publication of its information, advice and guidance inquiry has revealed the vital need for good lifelong careers advice in Britain.

The study showed that a fifth (21%) do not feel they are in a job that makes best use of their skills and a further 41% have been in such a job in the past.

Such is the impact of this wasted talent that each of these people spends on average 4 years and 10 months in a job which doesn't make the best use of their skills. Combined this means a total of 132m working years in Britain have been spent by people in the wrong job.

And while just 4% who escaped such a job used formal careers advice services to move on to their next position, almost two-thirds (59%) of those currently in such a dissatisfying job feel good-quality careers advice could improve their lives. Among the general working population 47% feel that receiving good careers advice now would help their career prospects.

Additional research also revealed the levels of engagement and satisfaction with official careers advice provision:

Sixty-five per cent of all people have received formal careers advice during their life. Twenty-seven per cent of 18-24s have received advice from Connexions, 15% from Jobcentre Plus, 63% from school and 66% from college or university. Six per cent of people have received advice from Learndirect, 13 per cent from Jobcentre Plus, 41% from school and 37% from college or university. Two-thirds (66%) found this formal advice very or fairly useful, with 7% finding it not useful at all.

Andy Powell, member of the Skills Commission and CEO of Edge, commented, "These findings demonstrate the very real need for high quality formal careers advice in the UK. We are shocked at the sheer depth of dissatisfaction Britons seem to feel for their work and how their skills are under-utilised on a massive scale. We urge the government to listen very carefully to the recommendations of the Skills Commission. Information, advice and guidance for all adults and young people must be given the appropriate funding and political support it deserves."

The role of informal advice and guidance to 67% of the population was also highlighted by the research:

Forty-one per cent sought informal advice from friends (76% of 18-24 year olds), 37% from the internet (61% of 18-24s), 32% from their parents (70% of 18-24s), and 25% from other family members (47% of 18-24s).

Professor Michael Thorne, Chair of the Skills Commissions inquiry into information, advice and guidance and Vice Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University, said, "In the new world order, informal sources of advice from social networking sites, mentors and employers will become increasingly important. These results highlight how essential a mix of formal and informal sources of advice are to the public."

The Skills Commission is a steering body for the National Skills Forum and Associate Parliamentary Skills Group (APSG), consisting of a select group of key individuals with a stake in skills policy.

Co-chaired by Barry Sheerman MP and Dame Ruth Silver, Principal of Lewisham College, the Skills Commission brings fresh thinking to the skills debate and campaigning on major skills issues in Parliament and beyond.