Local initiatives to reduce dropouts

1. Local initiatives to reduce dropouts Presentation by Youth Guidance Center UU-Roskilde /Kenneth Sejlø Andersen

2. Content of the presentation • Presentation of UU-Roskilde - Youth Guidance Center • National initiatives • Three local initiatives • Conclusions

3. 1. Independent YouthGuidance Centers • There are 51 youth guidance centers in Denmark covering 98 municipalities • Youth guidance centers provide guidance in relation to the transition from compulsory education to youth education • and to young people who have dropped out of a youth education • Note: • Definition of youth education: upper secondary education programmes and vocational education and training programmes

4. 1. Target group • Young people up to the age of 25 Special focus: • on the transition from compulsary education to youth education • on dropouts and young people who are in danger to drop out of school Note: New legislation is on its way: the target group will soon include the age 25-30 years. This means there will be launched new initiatives towards this group.

5. 1. Main aims for the localyouthguidance center UU-Roskilde/Lejre • Guidance should be targeted particularly at young people who, without specific guidance, will have difficulties in relation to choice and complete their education, training and career

6. 1. UU-Roskilde’s and ourkeypatners • Actors in the field of education • Lower secondary schools • Upper secondary schools • Vocational educations • Schools preparing young people for education, such as production schools • Roskilde Job Center

7. 2. National initiatives Great awareness on the importance of education • The 95% goal: By 2015- 95% of all young people are to complete a youth education

8. 2. National initiatives - continued • Trainingorders • Since 2006 it’sbeenpossible for job centers to instructyoungpeoplebetween the age of 18 and 24, whoarereceiving social assistance/economicbenefits, to take an education. • Thismeansthatyoungpeople under 25 yearswilllosetheireconomicbenefitsiftheyare not enrolled in youtheducation • From 2014 thiswillalso cover youngpeople up to 30 years.

9. 3. Broadlocalcollaboration • The municipality of Roskilde is putting a great effort in achieving the governments 95 % goal. • Particularly three initiatives are focus: One entrance, The School of Guarantee and DUR • The three initiatives have a lot in common all working on preventing dropout and supporting young people in taking an education. • The initiatives are working on three different levels – an organizational level, a voluntarily interdisciplinary level and on a research based level.

10. 4. One entrance • One entrance is a close collaboration between the youth guidance center UU-Roskilde and Roskilde Job Center. • The idea with One entrance is to create one place where young people over 18 years can go to • The intention is to create an easier access for support.

11. 3. School of guarantee • The School of Guarantee is a (binding) partnership between UU-Roskilde, Roskilde Job Center and all actors in the field of youth education in Roskilde. • The goal of the collaboration is to prevent that young people in Roskilde drops out of the educational system. • In practice this means that the young person who is in danger of dropping out will recive guidance where they will be able to try out different educations at others schools, while they’re still enrolled in their own education.

12. 3. DUR – focusingonboys • DUR is a projectbetween the municipality of Roskilde and lowersecondaryschools in, all upper secondaryschools in Roskilde, UU-Roskilde and researchers from the University of Roskilde (RUC). • Whenwe look at the statistics for dropouts from upper secondaryschools, boys have a higher rate thangirls. • Add to thisthatgirlsgetbetter grades thanboys in the lowersecondaryschools in all subjectsexcept from mathematics.

13. 3. DUR – focusingonboys • DUR aims at: • developing new and better ways to include, address and teach boys and young men in order to reduce their dropout rates

14. 4. DUR The seven different development groups in the DUR project have worked with a great variety of subjects such as guidance, the transition fra compulsory education to youth education, healthy lifestyle habits, teaching forms, writing difficulties.

15. DUR The project has given us a lot of new knowledgeaboutboys, but alsogirls, in the educational system, and howwecanqualifyourways of addressing, teaching, guiding. One examples: • boysarelesslikely to seek out a youth guide  wefound it washelpful to arrange pop up guidance and in general have the youth guides moveaway from theiroffices and down to the canteen and otherplaceswhere the students are.

16. 4. DUR – (conclusions) • Students who have dropped out, and the students in danger of dropping out, are actually calling for/seeking/inquiring more guidance •  if we give the students in risk of dropping out more, and better, guidance, chances that they’ll drop out will decrease • We have to adresse the way we teach in new forms

17. 4. Conclusions in general • We need to start earlier • - lack of basic skills - sociale problems - personale/mental problems - drug related problems have a significant effect on the dropouts rates