Raising the Participation Age and Young People’s Employability Plan 2012-2016

1. Raising the Participation Age and Young People’sEmployability Plan 2012-2016 “Young people not in education, employment or training at 16 to19 have poorer life chances than their peers and are more likely to be a long term cost to the public purse”. Against the odds, Audit Commission, July 2010

2. Our Vision By 19 years of age every Surrey young person will be participating in education, training or employment with training. Confident, effective and happy, Surrey young people will be well prepared for the challenges of work or further study. A well developed and capable character, literate, numerate with a good understanding of what to expect from the world of work.

3. Context Raising Participation Age requires that by 2013 young people remain in education, training or employment to the end of Year 12 and then by 2015 to age 18 In Surrey the number of NEET young people has remained fairly static at ~1000 since 2003, but recently declined to ~900 Increasing employability is a key strategy to achieve full participation.

4. What we know • Young people face a range of barriers to participation and certain groups are at particular risk of becoming NEET. • Many young people are not ‘work ready’ or lack the ‘employability skills’ needed to start an apprenticeship. • Not enough employers are employing young people.

5. Participation and demographics

6. Numbers of Young People

7. Numbers of Young People

8. Focus Groups: SCHOOL CURRICULUM If school’s been bad, you’re not really going to want to go to college to learn because you ain’t been learning in your secondary school. My school.. the NVQs that they offered were all hair and beauty, nail design and that was it. I went to a construction site for a week and what they were teaching us in the classroom was nothing like actually on the site, so it’s just not the real world is it? They were too focused on getting you through your GSCES- they do not give you real life skills just bits of paper That’s the good thing about SPLASH , if you can’t find a job or placement this is a good place to come…that way you get more help to find a college, course or apprenticeship

9. ADVICE & GUIDANCE They should give us things like telling us that we could do an apprenticeship or you could do voluntary work or something like that, not just say, ‘College, college, college.’ They were not realistic and honest with people- if they saw grades that weren't going to get into college they should say here are some other things you can do DISADVANTAGE If you've got some sort of learning disability are you getting the right help that you need to do well? …if you don’t do well, you can’t get good grades and you can’t get a job. I would have gone to college if EMA was still working. They judge you on your appearance and not how you act and work

10. DISCRIMINATION Most people don’t listen to people our age... [they] think we just hang around in the streets making trouble As soon as you’re labelled as “the problem child”, they don’t want you at all. They don’t even bother trying with you either, they like just give up on you. You always see anti-bullying signs up in schools yet bullying is going on right under their nose and no one is doing anything about it At school for the whole 5 years , I was bullied... because of the bullies I came out with absolutely nothing It’s about giving people a chance, to be honest, no matter what’s gone on their life. Everyone deserves a chance, really.

11. JOB OPPORTUNITIES A lot of places want experience... how you can have experience, if you haven’t ever like had a chance to do it before? Most jobs need 5 C grades… if you don’t have those grades that stops you from getting the job and makes its harder Usually they say you are too young... they don’t get back to you at all and then you just don’t want to look for jobs anymore You can’t get a job if you’ve got a criminal record, can you? Like CRB checks, you can’t work with young kids, you can’t work with any people. That’s what I wanted to do and I ruined it.

12. REGRET I would love to go back and change everything that I’ve done! It kind of feels too late… People judge us… everyone makes mistakes… Come on, think of how many I’ve made in 17 years You only get one or two chances in life or in school or whatever, but everyone makes mistakes

13. Key Issues for Young People • Realistic advice & guidance • Relevant curriculum offer • Access to employment opportunities • Transport • Poor school experience • Self esteem and confidence • Prior experience and qualifications • Facing disadvantage • Regret and no second chances

14. The Young People’s Employability Plan 2012-16 Ensure good range of high quality education, training and employment opportunities to enable participation for all our young people. Focus on ages 14-19, extending to 25 for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities. Key Actions:

15. Participation Network College Principals Youth Justice Management Board 14-19 Partnership 11-19 Networks School Phase Councils ALPS PETE Steering Group SEND Stakeholder Group PETE Clusters

16. Preparing Young People • Raising participation as an opportunity • Changing expectations • Communications • Early help • Information, advice and guidance • Alternative pathways • Year 11/12 and RONI • Destination measures

17. Commissioning and developing opportunities Mix & balance of provision 14-19 Targeted provision On-line learning Skills Centres R4W – Ready for Work Opportunities for Work - including apprenticeships

18. Aligning Aspirations with Opportunities Understand the local job offer. Mapping local offer Ensure young people’s aspirations are realistic and stretching. Matching to education and job opportunities. On-line advice and guidance Supporting SEND young people

19. Overcoming barriers to participation • Targeted bursaries • Free college meals • Targeted support for LAC/Care Leavers • Co-ordinated support re mental health • YSS support e.g. re homelessness

20. Tackling worklessness in families • Whole family approach • Integrated with Youth Contract and Job Centre Plus • Joined up with family support • Local prevention

21. Achieving full participation • Full participation cannot be achieved by one agency alone. • Challenges remain for key groups and particularly in addressing financial hardship and transport • What’s working well? • What more do we need to do?