Overview

2. Overview • Launched in May 2011, Youth Works is an initiative developed by the Department of Education, funded by the International Fund for Ireland and managed by the Youth Council for Northern Ireland. • Youth Works has been designed specifically to use a Youth Work methodology to engage, on a cross community basis, 16-17 year olds in the Core NEET group and support them to gain recognised qualifications that will make a positive difference to their long term employment, education and training prospects.

3. Pilot • A pilot of the 26-week cross community programme was delivered in North Belfast by a partnership led by Include Youth along with Challenge for Youth, Artillery Youth Centre and Northern Ireland Alternatives.  • Delivery of the 26 week full-time programme started in September 2011 and involved 37 young people. • The programme is continuing for a further phase in North Belfast. • Learning from the pilot has been distilled and incorporated into the second phase. 

4. Learning • Reaching the target group was a major challenge. • Maintaining a community background balance. • Complex/compound needs of young people meant that initial progress was slower than anticipated. • One-to-one mentoring was a substantial element of the pilot – helping young remain engaged. • Highly individualised tailored support and training was key to success of pilot, esp. in helping participants gain qualifications.

5. Learning • Peace & reconciliation needs to be integral from the outset. • Essential Skills assessment & work need to begin early. • Connections and links with local SSA offices helpful to address benefit queries. • Links with DEL Careers Service helpful as part of the signposting and ‘positive moving-on’ process. • Young people if they turn 18* while on the scheme are not eligible to join TfS schemes as these cater for 16 – 17 year olds.

6. Timeline • The application process will result in the appointment of one Delivery Agent in each location. (i.e. Belfast {excluding north}, Foyle/East Londonderry, Newry/Armagh & Mourne and Upper Bann) • It is anticipated that successful applicants will be appointed in July with recruitment of young people taking place over the summer. • Delivery of the programme with young people is expected to begin early Autumn – at the latest. • Subject to performance against programme targets, outputs and outcomes a further phase of the programme will be offered.

7. Phase 2 & 3

8. Aim "to identify and target 16-17 year olds, not in education, employment or training and with no formal qualifications (i.e. at GCSE level or equivalent), within communities suffering the greatest economic and social deprivation and using those economic concerns as a platform to build stronger relationships with other 16-17 year olds in similar circumstances, whilst at the same time enabling them to re-engage with formal education and training and help them fulfil their potential."

9. Target Group The key criteria for participation in the programme is that the young people engaged are: • Aged 16 or 17; • Not in any form of formal education, employment or training; • Those with no formal qualifications (i.e. at GCSE level or equivalent).

10. Participant make up • It is important that the number of participants in each location include an equal balance of young people from the two main community backgrounds. • Due regard should also be taken of the need to promote equality of opportunity between groups of people listed under Section 75 that fall within the scope of the programme.

11. Underpinning themes The three underpinning themes of the programme are: • Peace and Reconciliation; • Personal Development; and • One to One Mentoring.

12. Key stages

13. Youth Works Funding for Youth Works is not available to fund a particular organisation’s ongoing work with young people, but instead is being made available to realise specifically targeted, strategically defined outcomes for young people aged 16-17 with no qualifications* and not in education, employment or training, under the brand of Youth Works. *(at GCSE level or equivalent)

14. Objectives • Facilitate integration, promote understanding and improve cross community relations between 16 & 17 year olds from different community backgrounds; • Assist young people from communities suffering the greatest economic and social deprivation to improve their employability; • Ease the transition of young people through a difficult and challenging time in their life and help them gain a recognised qualification; • Inspire young people to feel a sense of achievement by re-engaging them positively through non-formal education; • Re-establish trust between young people and the education system by creating an environment suited to their needs and focussed on improving their outcomes; and • Provide a stepping stone and appropriate signposting that allows young people to move on to mainstream learning, training or work.

15. Outputs • Recruitment of the minimum number of young people in the Core NEET group in the area selected; • Individual assessment, planning and support for each young person; • Delivery of mentoring advice and support to each participant; • Improvement in work related skills of each participant; • Completion of the full 26 weeks of the programme by at least 60% of participants; • Participants to gain recognised qualifications at a minimum of level 1, and ideally level 2 (depending on qualifications on entry), that demonstrably contribute to meeting their identified needs and make a positive difference to their long term employment and education prospects; • Signposting of each young person to next level education, employment or training.

16. Participant Outcomes • Attainment of appropriate qualifications depending on qualifications on entry; • Active engagement with local community/society; • Enhanced respect for difference and improved self confidence; • Improved understanding of young people from different community backgrounds; • Sustained positive engagement with other young people from a different background; • Re-engagement in an educational environment; • Improved aspirations; • Improved physical and mental health; • Improvements in relation to assessed individual needs; • Realisation of personal targets established at outset of the programme; • Progress towards a potential career path or area of study; • Improvements in social, interpersonal and communication skills; • Improved discipline in a semi-formal environment, including timekeeping and an understanding of the nature of teams, roles and responsibilities; and • Renewed trust in the educational system and society in general.

17. Basic Criteria • Be a properly constituted body; • Non-statutory (applies to lead organisation only); • Meet the going concern concept; • Have a fit for purpose and contemporary child protection policy; • Have a fit for purpose and contemporary equal opportunities policy; • Not be linked to a political party. • Also, its primary intent must not be proselytising.

18. Assessment & Scoring

19. Programme Criteria • Delivering positive personal development outcomes for marginalised young people; • Delivering accredited training outcomes for marginalised young people; • Delivering positive outcomes for young people in the Youth Works programme target group, i.e. Core NEET 16-17yr olds without qualifications; • Delivering positive peace and reconciliation outcomes for marginalised young people.

20. General Criteria • Understanding of the programme; • Ability to make a meaningful and positive contribution to peace & reconciliation and participants long term education & employment prospects; • Capacity to add value to the anticipated programme and maximise use of the funds available; • Capacity to successfully implement the Youth Works programme in the delivery location selected; • Ability to record, monitor, track progress, report and evaluate; and • Ability to account for and report on programme budget; • Ability to identify and minimise risks.

21. Consortium applications If applying as a consortium, organisations / consortia must be able to demonstrate: • Recent experience of working in consortia; and • Robust consortium arrangements. • A Consortium Partners’ Questionnaire must also be completed and returned for each group/organisation involved.

22. Consortium arrangements • If the successful applicant is a consortium the Letter of Offer issued by YCNI (the Managing Agent) will be to the Lead Organisation named in the application. • The Lead Organisation will be the legal entity named as the Delivery Agent in the LOO. • It shall be responsible for all aspects of delivery. • It shall be responsible for reporting on all project activity and accounting for all project funds.

23. Consortium arrangements • In order to ensure a coherent and consistent programme is delivered by the consortium it is expected that all related expenditure will be incurred through the lead organisation. • All reports to YCNI will be submitted by the Lead Organisation. • All payments made by YCNI will be to the Lead Organisation.

24. Budget - per delivery phase

25. Exclusions • Please note that independent/external evaluation is not an eligible cost in the Youth Works programme. • The Department of Education has secured the services of the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) to carry out an evaluation of the overall Sharing in Education Programme. This will run over the life of the programme and any Delivery Agent appointed will be contracted to co-operate fully with this evaluation. • “Management Fees” are not an eligible cost.

26. Budget • Applicant organisations are required to demonstrate how they will maximise the impact of this funding for the benefit of eligible participants. • Organisations may choose to supplement the available funding in order to further add value; however the success of the core objectives of the programme must not be conditional on the availability of any additional funding or resources.

27. Personnel Costs • Under personnel you should include the cost for each employee (whether full-time, part-time or apportioned) and include gross salary, employers’ NIC, employers’ pension, recruitment, training, travel and subsistence.

28. Participant Support Costs • It is recognised that there will be a need to provide additional participant support interventions in the form of incentives in order to attract and retain young people in the programme. These may include costs such as achievement, attendance or participation incentives, completion of stage bonuses, travel expenses and meal allowances which must be paid directly to the individual participant. • It can also include childcare allowances which must be paid directly to the childcare provider.

29. Programme & Other Costs • This may include programme costs such as external venue hire, learning materials, specialist tutors, accreditation, external course fees, group transport and entry fees to places of interest. • Other costs may include insurance, stationery, telephone, postage, heat and light.

30. Instructions to Applicants • It is essential that applicants refer to and follow closely the information/guidance provided in the Instructions to applicants document. • There is specific guidance for each question and the assessment and selection process will be based on the range and quality of the information provided by applicants.

31. Instructions to Applicants • Throughout the application form a maximum number of words is stated for many questions. You are advised to remain within the limits set as any information provided outside of this may be deemed ineligible and therefore will not be considered as part of your application. • Where requested in the application form, please state the number of words used in your response. • No additional papers other than those requested as part of the application should be sent.

32. Instructions to Applicants • Where “recent experience” is requested this should be within the past 36 months so please provide dates from and to where appropriate. • Failure to provide dates for any work referred to in your answer to any question requesting recent information may result in the information provided not being considered and this will affect the likelihood of your application being successful.

33. Enclosures • Please check that you have enclosed all of the documents requested. • If you fail to submit the necessary documentation, or fail to provide a statement indicating why it is not enclosed/applicable, your application may be considered ineligible.

34. Closing date • Completed Application Forms should be returned in hard copy by 3.00pm on Wednesday 6th June 2012 • Faxed or emailed copies will not be accepted. • Applications received after the closing date/time will not be considered.

35. CHECK THE WEBSITE • Applicants are strongly encouraged to regularly check the YCNI website for any updated guidance that may be issued in response to queries received. www.ycni.org