Focusing on NEETs Creating positive progression opportunities

1. Focusing on NEETsCreating positive progression opportunities

2. Heather Freeman - Regional Project Manager 01992 411359 hfreeman@hrc.ac.uk Ben Wyse - Deputy Project Manager 01992 411544 bwyse@hrc.ac.uk

3. 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

4. Youth East 1 – Results (16-19)

5. Herts Youth – Results (14-16)

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

7. 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

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

9. Hertfordshire Providers • Hertford Regional College • Oaklands College • North Herts College • West Herts College

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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?

15. Consider

16. Aims Identify three major barriers that cause the ‘churn’ Identify three actions to address the barriers