Focusing on NEETs Creating positive progression opportunities

FOCUSING ON NEETS

CREATING POSITIVE PROGRESSION OPPORTUNITIES

Heather Freeman - Regional Project Manager

01992 411359 [email protected]

Ben Wyse - Deputy Project Manager01992 411544 [email protected]

ESF Funded NEET Projects – East of England

Youth East 2 (Kick Start Your Future) NEET or at risk of disengaging aged 14-18 (4071)

Start April 2011/ End December 2013

Youth East Works YEW (Pathways to Apprenticeships) NEETs wishing to engage in work based training through

apprenticeships aged 16-19 (839)Start April 2011 / End December 2012

Awarded following the successful completion of two similar projects 2009/2010

Youth East 1 – Results (16-19)

Target Achieved %

Starts 2865 2885 100%

Qualifications 2186 2254 103%

Progression 1497 1950 130%

Herts Youth – Results (14-16)

Target Achieved %

Starts 335/304 304 91%

Qualifications 302/251 251 83%

Progressions 268 262 98%

County Starts Targets – Youth East 2 (14-19)

County Starts

Cambs 620

Essex 1612

Herts 636

Norfolk 626

Suffolk 577

Total 4071

Hertfordshire Providers

Essex Training Centre Hertford Regional College North Herts College Oaklands College West Herts College Positive Strides Ridgemond Training TEC@Tabbard Wheels YMCA Training SPS

County Starts Target - Youth East Works (16-19)

County Starts

Cambs 125

Essex 323

Herts 138

Norfolk 135

Suffolk 118

Total 839

Hertfordshire Providers

Hertford Regional College Oaklands College North Herts College West Herts College

Managing a regional project to address the needs of NEET young people

Strengths: Regional lead with local perspective Centrally managed profiles / flexibility to meet

demand Flexible/peripatetic providers Consistent approach to quality Shared good practice Partnership rather than competition Bespoke MI system Robust audit trail Dedicated resource

Managing a regional project to address the needs of NEET young people

Challenges: Project volumes v growing NEETs Stakeholder expectations 3rd generation worklessness/benefit trap Economic tensions Travel Cohort mix Multi levels of capability Much reduced referral resource in some counties Dealing with poor levels of literacy, numeracy and

language skills

How do we engage with and recruit young people?

Tasters / Incentives Positive promotion / word of mouth Short and interesting – something different Seamless progression available immediately Multi agency approach – holistic projects Work experience / project leads into work Good staff with the right experience and attitude Good / current information for referral partners Use technology to approach young people Relationship with schools – preventative work 14-16 Flexible provision linked to curriculum 14-16

Encouraging employers to give NEET young people an opportunity

Providers funded for starts and completions on work tasters Pre Apprenticeship Academies – aspire to work from the start Eligible SMEs paid for Supported Placement opportunity £300

start, £500 milestones and £1000 when convert to a full Apprenticeship – up to 26 weeks, learner paid a training allowance until they start the Apprenticeship

Employer open evenings – sector based (targeted promotion) Work focussed qualifications (Work Skills) – skills that employers

want e.g. Attitudes and behaviours Working with others / alone Listening skills / following instructions / speaking skills Problem solving Communication / confidence

Group Task

“A significant number of NEET young people dip in and out of programmes remaining

NEET until they can claim a benefit”

How do we prevent the NEET ‘churn’ and ensure sustained progression?

Consider

Training Provider Mentors

School Ambassadors

Connexions Communication channels

Employers Tracking

Parents Incentives

Aims

Identify three major barriers that cause the ‘churn’

Identify three actions to address the barriers