Youth Contract – part of Positive
Directions
Skills Training UK
November 7th 2012
Graham Clarke (e-mail)
Grahamclarke@skillstraininguk.com
Syed Jafery (e-mail)
Syedjafery@skillstraininguk.com
What is the Youth Contract?
Key Elements 1 - 5
1. Wage Incentives
• 160,000 incentives of £2,275
• To employ a person age 18-24 from the Work
Programme or Jobcentre Plus
2. Work Experience
• 250,000 places available to every 18-24 year old who wants
one before they enter the Work Programme - Last between 2
and 8 weeks
What is the Youth Contract?
3. Sector Based Academies
JCP helps a business to fill a vacancy via Pre-employment
training (fully funded if delivered by college or training
provider), and Work Experience
4. Apprenticeship Wage Incentives
40,000 Apprenticeship Grants for Employers worth £1,500
each. Available to SMEs (up to 1,000 employees) to take on
their first apprentice. For 16-24 year olds
5. Additional support from JCP
Time to talk to an adviser and the opportunity for a National
Careers Service interview
What is the Youth Contract?
Key Element 6
3 year contract support for disengaged 16-17 year olds with
low qualifications
• Programme aim is to support them into sustainable
education, training or employment with training
• Provides a high degree of flexibility to providers through a
‘black box’ approach
• It is a payment by results contract
Key Element 6: High Level Overview - 3
main stages
Stage 1: Identifying, Engaging and
Motivating Young People
Stage 2: Supporting into Reengagement
Stage 3: Help sustain the Young
Person’s education or employment
Stage 1 – Eligibility for Positive
Directions
• Aged 16 or 17 (some 15 year olds may be
engaged)
• No GCSE’s Grades A – C
• At least 1 day NEET
• Resident in the Local Authority
• UK Resident
Stage 1 – Identifying and Engaging
• Outreach activities – offer IAG, workshops and support
at e.g. community centres, shopping centres, GP’s
• Referrals – through established local links with e.g.
YOT’s, voluntary sector organisations, Careers Services
• Events – Attend and run opportunities that attract
young people e.g. a themed events on sport, food,
music
• Marketing – Eye catching and relevant literature.
Create a Facebook and twitter page
• Refer a Friend – rewards for current cohorts who refer
someone who starts and re-engages
Stage 1 - Motivating
• Induction – individual or small group, meet
the mentor
• Individualised Action Planning and
Assessment
• Identify barriers, goals during stage 1,
aspirations
• Discussion regarding appropriate planned reengagement activity areas
• Agree starting point in stage 2
The Bank of Opportunities
• Skills Training UK and partners will work
together to produce a Bank of Opportunities,
a constantly growing directory of reengagement routes including colleges, training
providers employers with training and
apprenticeships
• This will be broken down into localised
sections and available on our MI system
Solution9
Stage 2 – Support into Re-engagement
Supportive
Development
Reengagement
Young People may start Stage 2 from any of the
above starting points. They must commence
their re-engagement before the end of 6 months
on the programme
Stage 2 – Support into Re-engagement
• Starting Point A – Supportive – for those
furthest from re-engagement
• Individual support in areas such as confidence
building, finance, housing, social, transport
and IAG
Stage 2 – Support into Re-engagement
• Starting Point B - Development
• Address relevant skills issues
• Use of the Bank of Opportunities to provide
this support where appropriate
• Further discussion regarding appropriate reengagement activity
• Appropriate Work experience or tasters
Stage 2 – Support into Re-engagement
• Starting Point C - Re-engagement - for those
nearest to re-engagement
• Use the Bank of Opportunities to identify and
book onto a suitable course or opportunity for
employment with training
• Preparation for interview if required
• Preparation for re-engagement session
• Day 1 support
Stage 3 – Eligible Engagement
Activities
• Full Time Training or Education
• 20 hours per week employment (min) plus 1 day a
week accredited training
• 20 hours per week voluntary work (min) plus 1 day a
week accredited training
• 20 hours per week self employment (min) plus 1 day a
week accredited training
• Access to Apprenticeship followed by Apprenticeship
• 7 hours a week directed learning
More than one activity is permissible
Stage 3 – Sustaining in EET
• Week 1 communication with young person /
college / employer
• Month 1 communication
• Agree frequency of subsequent support
• Easy access to the Positive Directions Mentor
• Reviews with young person / college / employer
• Access to additional interventions to maintain
confidence and motivation
• Need to achieve at least 5/6 months engaged
• Graduation Ceremonies
STUK and partners have been
selected to:
• Maximise use of local knowledge and experience
of dealing with the NEET group to find and
support the right people
• Deliver own provision where appropriate and if
identified as the right route for the individual
• Work closely with the LAs, other agencies and
STUK to make Positive Directions work effectively
• Be innovative and analyse results to continuously
improve
Kent
Sevenoaks
Dartford
Gravesham
Tonbridge and Malling
Maidstone
Tunbridge Wells
Swale
Ashford
Canterbury
Shepway
Thanet
Dover
TBG
NXG
TBG
NXG
NXG
TBG
NXG
TBG
NXG
STUK
EKITEC
NXG
Go Train
TBG
Treejumpers
Go Train
Beacon Church TPT
Treejumpers
Shaw Trust Go Train
Shaw Trust
Go Train
Shaw Trust
TBG
Future Creative
How will Positive Directions Work?
Reducing NEETs in each Local Authority area by:
•Understanding existing provision
•Working with the LA alongside it to compliment and align with it
•Providing an individualised high quality mentoring service
•Maximising the choice available to the NEET individuals it serves
through a Bank of Opportunities
•Proper preparation for young people to engage as when they are
ready
•Maximising the range of communication options to minimise drop
out from engagement
•Track EETs for one year – use of Solution9
•Engage with some of the unknowns and communicate details back to
the LAs
•Participate in graduations with successful young people
How will Positive Directions Work?
In Kent
• STUK are working closely with CXK who have an existing
contract with the Local Authority
• We have a data sharing agreement and referral protocol
with them
• Partners are building good relations with their advisors –
referrals from CXK to STUK will be passed onto the most
appropriate partners
• We will update CXK on a monthly basis re all participants
on Positive Directions – ie progress made, those that have
re-engaged, completers
Volumes in Kent
In Kent
•We had 9 starts onto the Youth Contract in September
•We should have 25 starts in October
•We have agreed with the EFA to support 2402 young
people over 3 years (there is some flexibility around
this)
Analysis
• Our supply chain will record all activity on our
bespoke system Solution9 (which is being tailored
for this contract)
• We will analyse all starts and the progress they
make during and beyond the programme’s
duration
• We will improve the programme based on
observations, findings and shared best practice –
led by our Head of Continuous Improvement
How is your school positioned for
the changing environment?
Discuss
• The key concerns of schools with the new
responsibilities
• What should be the role of the CEIAG
Network?
Record key points for;
• Questions
• Feedback