Students at a prestigious Hampshire college have a new role - keeping their careers advisers on their toes.

The careers team at King Alfred's College in Winchester, part of the Link2Learn partnership which offers advice and guidance on learning opportunities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, now asks all students to evaluate any workshops they take part in.

The move was introduced as part of the college's successful drive to become the first higher education college in the south to win Guidance Council Quality Standards accreditation for its careers service provision.

Ann Henderson, head of careers at King Alfred's College, Winchester, said: "One of the criteria of the Link2Learn Information Advice and Guidance partnership is that you go for the quality standards accreditation.

"It was a lot of work to gather the material to prove you do deliver what you claim to deliver. For instance, if you are running a workshop for students you have to ask every student to fill in an evaluation.

"If 85 per cent don't say it's good then you don't get the accreditation. That's very positive because there is no point in continuing to run a bad workshop. We now have evaluation questionnaires in place for every activity."

To gain the standard, a group of careers providers working with Link2Learn, a partnership of organisations including colleges and the voluntary sector, had to submit a comprehensive portfolio of evidence to the Guidance Accreditation Board.

Lorna Payne, principal reference librarian for Southampton Reference Library which also gained accreditation, said that one of the most useful aspects of putting together their portfolio had been putting their Statement of Service into writing.

She said: "Libraries are big buildings and sometimes people get into the habit of just using a few parts. Being awarded the Guidance Council Quality Standard has raised the profile of our careers service."

Southern Careers Fareham, Highbury College Portsmouth, Portsmouth Central Library and Gosport Library, also received accreditation.

Link2Learn spokesman Nigel Harvey-Whitten said he was delighted with the training providers' success. He said: "The Guidance Council Quality Standards are the industry's benchmark of quality. It requires hard work to achieve these Standards but they are a really valuable asset."