A report set out case studies of education/training providers who were working successfully to close the gap for young people aged 14-19 coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Source: Improving Outcomes for Disadvantaged Young People: Case studies of effective practice, Young People's Learning Agency
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Dec
A report by a committee of the National Assembly for Wales said that although provision of work-based learning was 'broadly sufficient' in Wales, pockets of poorly delivered services needed to be eliminated in order for vulnerable young people to benefit from it as a route into employment.
Source: Work Based Learning Provision for Vulnerable Young People, Petitions Committee/National Assembly for Wales
Links: Report | WAG press release
Date: 2010-Dec
A report examined the operation, role, and value of vocational qualifications and vocationally-related qualifications that were delivered as 'standalone' qualifications. It explored provider motivations to deliver these qualifications in the 14-19 phase, and the value to learners, employers, and higher education institutions. It made recommendations on how, and where, rationalization of the qualifications might take place, and actions required to support implementation of the 14-19 qualifications strategy.
Source: Marianne Burgess and John Rodger, 14-19 Qualifications Strategy Research, Research Report RR055, Department for Education
Date: 2010-Nov
A paper examined the effect of neighbours' background characteristics and prior achievements on teenagers' educational and behavioural outcomes. There was little evidence that neighbours' characteristics significantly affected pupil test score progression during secondary education. Neighbourhood composition also exerted only a small effect on pupil behavioural outcomes, such as general attitudes towards schooling, substance use, and anti-social behaviour.
Source: Stephen Gibbons, Olmo Silva and Felix Weinhardt, Do Neighbours Affect Teenage Outcomes? Evidence from neighbourhood changes in England, DP0122, Centre for the Economics of Education/London School of Economics
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Nov
An article examined the impact on young people of an intensive citizenship programme in a large secondary school in Scotland. The results suggested that there had been a marked change in the general values of the young people involved. There were also some 'stark' gender differences.
Source: Henry Maitles, 'Citizenship initiatives and pupil values: a case study of one Scottish school's experience', Educational Review, Volume 62 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Nov
Researchers examined the outcomes of the 'Care to Learn' programme, which supported young parents to continue their education by covering the costs of childcare while they undertook a programme of learning. Most young parents surveyed would not have been able to continue or return to training without the support provided.
Source: Timothy Riley et al., The Impact of Care to Learn: Tracking the destinations of young parents funded in 2008/09, 2007/08 and 2006/07, Young People's Learning Agency
Date: 2010-Oct
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that some aspects of the new diploma qualification – especially the main subject content known as 'principal learning' – were working well: but the qualification as a whole was proving complex and challenging for both learners and providers. Learners were particularly enthusiastic about the opportunities that diplomas offered them to develop their vocational skills using industry-standard equipment: but the teaching of related skills in English, mathematics, and information and communications technology was too variable.
Source: Diplomas: The Second Year – An evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the diplomas for 14- to 19-year-olds, HMI 090240, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | ATL press release | NAHT press release | NASUWT press release | BBC report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Oct
A report said that there was a 'substantial divide' between what young people wanted from their careers advice at school and what they got, including the level of involvement of employers.
Source: Helping Young People Succeed: How employers can support careers education, Education and Employers Taskforce
Links: Report | EET press release | CMI press release
Date: 2010-Oct
The new coalition government announced an independent review (led by Alison Wolf) of vocational education for young people aged 14-19. The review would consider how vocational education could be improved; what the appropriate target audience was; what principles should underpin content, structure, and teaching methods; and how progression from vocational education could be improved. The review would report by spring 2011.
Source: Written Ministerial Statement 9 September 2010, column 20WS, House of Commons Hansard/TSO
Links: Hansard | DE press release | CBI press release | IFS press release | NAHT press release | NASUWT press release | NUT press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Sep
A report highlighted the significant help that the Connexions (youth careers) service had given to a small number of young people in very specific circumstances: but a complementary report said that the vast majority of young people did not benefit to the same extent, turning instead for advice to trusted adults such as parents and teachers.
Source: Tamaris McCrone, Clare Gardiner, Clare Southcott and Gill Featherstone, Information, Advice and Guidance for Young People, Local Government Association | Tessa Hibbert, Face-to-Face: What young people think about information, advice and guidance, Local Government Association
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | LGA press release | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Sep
A new book examined what parents, pupils, and teachers were thinking and doing in the fields of moral and character education. Families, and particularly mothers, had the strongest influence in the development of character. School teachers were caught between the 'traditional' position that the alleged lack of character was a sign of catastrophic moral decline, and the opposing view that character education was the 'propaganda weapon of choice' of the moral majority.
Source: James Arthur, Of Good Character: Exploration of virtues and values in 3-25 year-olds, Imprint Academic
Links: Summary | Young Foundation press release
Date: 2010-Sep
An article examined the opportunities and challenges that local authorities in England faced in carrying out their new responsibility for funding the education and training of young people aged 16-19.
Source: Jonathan Payne, 'Scoring opportunity or hospital pass? The changing role of local authorities in 14-19 education and training in England', Journal of Education Policy, Volume 25 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Aug
A qualitative study examined the experience of, and perspectives on, disengagement from learning by young people in Wales.
Source: Sarah Lloyd-Jones, Rhodri Bowen, Duncan Holtom, Tina Griffin and Jodie Sims, A Qualitative Research Study to Explore Young People's Disengagement from Learning, Welsh Assembly Government
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Jul
A report examined why the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) was so high, and what could be done to tackle the problem. It called for a shift in policy from the focus on tackling existing NEETs to preventing young people becoming NEET in the first place. As part of this shift, the report called for radical measures to address disengaged young people, such as an optional year out of the curriculum at age 14.
Source: Sarah Gracey and Scott Kelly, Changing the NEET Mindset: Achieving more effective transitions between education and work, Centre for Innovation in Learning/Learning and Skills Network
Links: Report | LSN press release
Date: 2010-Jul
Researchers examined how much difference the availability of careers education and information/advice/guidance made to young people's attitudes to school and expectations for post-16 activities, and to the actual decisions they took after reaching the minimum school-leaving age.
Source: Cheti Nicoletti and Richard Berthoud, The Role of Information, Advice and Guidance in Young People s Education and Employment Choices, Research Report RR019, Department for Education
Links: Report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jul
An audit report said that the problem of 'NEETs' (young people not in education, employment or training) might be worse than the annual official survey showed: but that a new approach could make scarce resources work harder for those at greatest risk.
Source: Against the Odds: Re-engaging young people in education, employment or training, Audit Commission
Links: Report | Audit Commission press release | York University press release | Personnel Today report | Guardian report | New Start report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Jul
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on young people not in education, employment or training ('NEETs'). It said that supporting young people to establish themselves and to build productive careers was not only a matter of social justice but also part of its longer-term strategy to reduce welfare dependency and to tackle disadvantage in communities.
Source: Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training: Government Response to the Children, Schools and Families Committee's Eighth Report, First Special Report (Session 2010-11), HC 416, House of Commons Education Select Committee/TSO
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2010-Jul
An article examined the policy and practice of partnership approaches to education in England for young people aged 14-19. Partnership was highly locally contingent: national policy on partnership working, which was itself not consistent, was strongly mediated by local contextual factors, institutional values and interests, personal missions and careers, pragmatic opportunism, ad-hocery, and 'happenstance'.
Source: Jeremy Higham and David Yeomans, 'Working together? Partnership approaches to 14-19 education in England', British Educational Research Journal, Volume 36 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Jun
Researchers examined the barriers and constraints young people faced when deciding what to do at the end of their compulsory schooling in year 11 (age 16). Most young people (86 per cent) did not experience any barriers that stopped them from participating in their choice of learning post-16: but a notable minority (14 per cent) were prevented from doing what they wanted to do, and 63 per cent reported experiencing at least one barrier or constraint. The main barriers and constraints related to finance, transport, availability of provision, and knowledge and awareness of the options available.
Source: Thomas Spielhofer et al., Barriers to Participation in Education and Training, Research Report RR009, Department for Education
Date: 2010-Jun
A paper examined the impact of the statutory minimum wage on enrolment in schooling. Only workers aged 18 years or more were covered by the legislation at the time of its introduction in 1999. There was 'robust evidence' that eligibility for the national minimum wage significantly reduced the probability of participation in post-compulsory schooling for young people living in areas where the national minimum was high relative to local earnings.
Source: Patricia Rice, Minimum Wages and Schooling: Evidence from the UK's introduction of a national minimum wage, Working Paper 482, Department of Economics/University of Oxford
Links: Paper
Date: 2010-Apr
An article examined the factors that affected young people's decisions not to progress to higher education after following a level 3 vocational pathway in upper secondary education.
Source: Sarah Aynsley and Barbara Crossouard, 'Imagined futures: why are vocational learners choosing not to progress to HE?',Journal of Education and Work, Volume 23 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
An article said that successive governments since the 1980s had struggled to establish the necessary foundations to enable the majority of young people to make effective and supported transitions from education to the labour market; and, further, to create labour market conditions that protected and nurtured young people's potential. New approaches were required to revitalize both the economy and individual life-chances.
Source: Lorna Unwin, 'Learning and working from the MSC to New Labour: young people, skills and employment', National Institute Economic Review, Volume 212 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
An article said that the potential of new 'diplomas' to become a major route to higher education would be constrained by a syndrome of 'low uptake, low understanding, low recognition, and high complexity'. There were key similarities between diplomas and the earlier, ill-fated Advanced General National Vocational Qualifications.
Source: Ann Hodgson and Ken Spours, 'Vocational qualifications and progression to higher education: the case of the 14-19 diplomas in the English system', Journal of Education and Work, Volume 23 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2010-Apr
A report for an official advisory body examined the impact of the introduction of the national minimum wage for young people aged 16-17 on the decisions made by young people at age 16 to stay on in full-time education or enter the labour market. There was no evidence of reduced participation in education among youths in low-wage local authority areas compared with high-wage areas.
Source: Augustin De Coulon, Elena Meschi, Joanna Swaffield, Anna Vignoles and Jonathan Wadsworth, Minimum Wage and Staying-On Rates in Education for Teenagers, Low Pay Commission
Links: Report
Date: 2010-Mar
The inspectorate for education and children's services examined the key factors that had contributed to reducing the proportion of young people aged 16-18 who were not in education, employment, or training ('NEETs') in 12 local authority areas in England. The most effective local authorities worked closely with a range of partners, including those from the voluntary and community sectors, to understand the circumstances and needs of young people, tailoring their programmes accordingly.
Source: Reducing the Numbers of Young People Not in Education, Employment or Training: What Works and Why, HMI 090236, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | NCVYS press release | New Start report
Date: 2010-Mar
A report examined the first year of operation of the new diplomas for young people in England aged 14-19. A linked report examined preparations for their introduction in 2009.
Source: Sarah Lynch et al., National Evaluation of Diplomas: The First Year of Delivery, Research Report RR220, Department for Children, Schools and Families | Tami McCrone et al.,National Evaluation of Diplomas: Preparation for 2009 Delivery, Research Report RR219, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Links: Report (1) | Brief | Report (2) | Brief | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Mar
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that the quality of careers information, advice, and guidance given to young people varied considerably across England and, in some cases, failed to meet the needs of those most at risk of ending up not in education, employment, or training.
Source: Moving Through the System: Information, advice and guidance, HMI 080273, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | NUT press release | ASCL press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | Children & Young People Now report
Date: 2010-Mar
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that the quality of careers information, advice, and guidance given to young people varied considerably across England and, in some cases, failed to meet the needs of those most at risk of ending up not in education, employment or training.
Source: Moving Through the System: Information, advice and guidance, HMI 080273, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release
Date: 2010-Mar
A study examined the extension phase of Learning Agreement Pilots. It concluded that the pilots had made a 'considerable contribution' to understanding young people defined as being in 'jobs without training', who had received very little policy attention in recent years. (Learning Agreement Pilots were targeted at young people aged 16-17 in 'jobs without training', with a view to increase access to learning options for this group and re-engage them in learning.)
Source: Sue Maguire et al., Learning Agreement Pilots: Evaluation of the 2008-2009 Extension, Research Report 202, Department for Children, Schools and Families
Date: 2010-Jan
