New plan to help young people to stay in education and training

New plans to help young people stay in education and training and ensure they have the support they need to find employment have been unveiled by the Welsh Labour’s Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates.

A central part of the new Youth Engagement and Progression Framework will establish for the first time in Wales a Youth Guarantee, to ensure that every young person in Wales has access to a place in post-16 education and training. Full national rollout will be achieved by September 2015. The Framework will also introduce an offer of an identified ‘lead worker’, who can provide continuity of support and contact for those young people who are most at risk of disengaging from education.

Support will be made available to help young people as they move through school, further education or training, and on into employment.  This is not about creating a new organisation, or recruiting a new army of people to take on this role. It is about a better, more co-ordinated way of organisations working together to improve the support that already exists through local Careers Advisers, Youth Workers, Learning Coaches and Third Sector organisations.

Local authorities will be responsible for implementing the Framework and providing updates on their progress, working with both schools, Careers Wales and other relevant organisations to track young people as they move through education and training.

The Youth Guarantee will be offered for the first time in September 2014 across a number of local authority areas in Wales with full national roll-out from September 2015. It will be classed as the offer, acceptance and commencement of:  a place on a full or part-time course in school, college, with an independent provider, or traineeship or apprenticeship place training to at least Level 2 during employment.