This article examines the delivery of career education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to young people in Scottish state secondary schools. It explores the role of guidance teachers, and the influence of national policy initiatives, curriculum guidelines and external agencies on their work. The perspective of teachers is the central focus for this research. Research interviews were conducted with 10 guidance teachers and contextualised with input from five topic experts. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Key issues reported by participants included growing demands on their time, difficulty with role boundaries, lack of training, and regional variation in provision for education-employer links. Areas for policy and practice improvement are identified. These include recommendations for staff roles, quality standards, and training.