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11 trial areas to prepare local authorities for Raising Participation Age (RPA)

 

- Trials to focus on careers advice and supporting young people NEET to re-engage -

 

Education Minister Iain Wright yesterday announced a major step towards all young people continuing in education and training until 18.

 

Trials launched in 11 areas, backed by £1m of Government investment, will pave the way for the raising of the participation age (RPA) across England in 2015. RPA is not about raising the school leaving age, to 17 by 2013 and to 18 by 2015, but the age at which young people complete learning, either in full-time education, in work-based learning, like an Apprenticeship, or part-time education or training.

 

The trials are based on three different models, one of which looks at how local authorities can best get those aged 16 and 17 who have dropped out of learning through the year, back into education or training.

 

Another focuses on how local authorities can best provide the right careers advice to young people to ensure they make the most of their options and skills, drawing on our developing thinking on information, advice and guidance (IAG) strategy, which will be published shortly. The third will see the development of area-wide strategies to enable full participation of all young people in education or training.

 

The areas involved are: Barnsley, Swindon and Wandsworth; Derby, Lambeth and Staffordshire; and Cumbria, East Sussex, Hertfordshire, Newcastle and Greater Manchester. They are trialling one of the three different models (see editors’ notes for more details). Each trial will run until Spring 2010, when good practice examples will be drawn together.

 

At a visit to Manchester Creative and Media Academy for Girls today, Iain Wright, Minister for 14-19 Reform, said:

 

“The days when young people could leave school at 16 without qualifications and find themselves a rewarding career are long gone. The current economic climate means that the job market is more competitive than ever.

 

“By offering good careers advice and by helping those not in education, employment or training re-engage with learning, we will help ensure all young people understand the options available to them and fulfil their potential – we’re providing the opportunities, now we need to make sure every young person knows about them.”

 

Raising the participation age is about giving all young people the education and training they need to succeed, be it in higher education or employment. There is strong evidence of a link between staying on and achieving – young people who progress in education or training after 16 are more likely to gain further qualifications by 18 than those who do not.

 

Mr Wright added: “There are now more post-16 choices than ever before and the Government is committed to ensuring young people make the most of their talents – be it through a Diploma, Apprenticeship, GCSEs, A Levels or work-based training.

 

“More young people than ever before are also choosing to continue learning so we know they want this change.

 

“And through our Backing Young Britain campaign we have committed to ensuring young people are supported through the recession.”

 

Today’s announcement coincides with the first generation of 11-year-olds starting secondary school this term who will all stay on in learning or training until 18.

 

Also today, innovative new models to help small businesses take on greater numbers of apprentices are being launched.

 

Twelve organisations have won a share of £7m of Government funding to set up new Apprenticeship Training Agencies (ATAs) and Group Training Associations (GTAs). The new models will help a range of organisations, especially small businesses, to offer more than 14,000 apprenticeship places for young people over the next three years, with a focus on opportunities for 16- to 18-year-olds. The apprenticeships will be offered in industries vital for the country’s economic growth, including environmental, creative, engineering, manufacturing, logistics and business administration.

 

Apprenticeships Minister Kevin Brennan said:

 

“We want to give small and medium-sized firms the extra support and resources they need to take on more apprentices. These innovative models mean small businesses, who may not previously have felt able to offer apprenticeships, can now get on board and back young Britain. Today’ announcement means greater flexibility for small businesses and greater security for apprentices.

 

Iain Wright said:

 

“Apprenticeships offer young people a valuable opportunity to build their skills and practical experience. We want apprenticeships to be a mainstream option for young people and we are committed to expanding the number of apprenticeship places available. At a time of economic downturn, it is vital that we continue to invest in young people.”

 

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. From September 2009 11 areas will be trialling one of the following models:

 

a. How local authorities can work most effectively in securing a full IAG (Information, Advice and Guidance) offer for young people to support the Raising of the Participation Age; Derby, Lambeth and Staffordshire will be working on this model.
b. How local authorities can plan and deliver a system, building on the September Guarantee, which effectively picks up those aged 16 and 17 who disengage with learning through the year and who are not participating, and re-engages them in education or training. Barnsley, Swindon and Wandsworth will be working on this model.
c. The development of an area-wide strategy to enable full participation of all young people in education or training. This model will assess the overall challenges, barriers and implement solutions at a local level. Greater Manchester, Cumbria, Hertfordshire, Newcastle and East Sussex will be working on this model. Greater Manchester is working as a group of local authorities.

 

2. We intend through these trials to inform our national policy and guidance to local authorities. We plan in late Autumn 2009 to produce a delivery plan and in Spring 2010 to pull together the good practice from the trial areas to inform future planning.

 

3. The Education and Skills Act 2008 means that from 2013 all young people will be required to continue in education or training post-16. This will increase the minimum age at which a young person can leave learning for the first time since 1972. This is not about raising the school leaving age. Young people will be able to participate in a way that suits them. That could be in: full-time education, such as in full-time education at school or college; work-based learning, such as an Apprenticeship; or part-time education or training, if they are employed, self-employed or volunteering for more than 20 hours a week. The minimum age at which young people can leave learning is being introduced in two stages, to the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from 2013, and until their 18th birthday from 2015.

 

4. More young people than ever before are continuing in learning. At the end of 2008, 79.7 per cent of 16- to 18-year-olds were participating in education and training, the highest ever rate. The full figures are available at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000849/index.shtml .

 

5. Backing Young Britain is a cross-Government campaign aimed at bringing businesses and public and voluntary sectors together to ensure the skills and experience of our young people are not wasted. The £1bn Future Jobs Fund, which will create 100,000 jobs targeted at young people. Last month the Government announced £40m of funding for new internships and work placements for graduates and 10,000 places for non-graduates, a new mentoring network to help young people find their feet in a tough jobs market and more help from day one of unemployment through job clubs and 1-2-1 support. The Government has also committed to a £6.9 billion investment programme that will deliver more than 1.5 million learning opportunities for 16- to 18-year-olds, provide an expansion in Apprenticeship places and offers more than £1bn to deliver an additional 200,000 employment opportunities and 100,000 apprenticeships for 19-24 year olds. To fulfil the Government’s ‘September Guarantee’ for school leavers during the recession, £655m of extra funding was announced in the Budget to provide an extra 55,000 places in sixth forms, colleges and training for 16-18 year olds this year and next year. To find out more go to: http://www.hmg.gov.uk/backingyoungbritain

 

The Government is committed to expanding apprenticeships so that they become a mainstream option for young people. Over 250,000 people are expected to start an apprenticeship in this academic year. A commitment was made in the Government’s New Opportunities White Paper in January 2009 to test out innovative approaches to make it easier for small businesses to take on apprentices. The £7m funding to develop the new delivery models is in addition to the £140m package the Prime Minister announced to provide an extra 35,000 Apprenticeships places over this coming year.

Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk