Young people who are not in employment, education or training are an increasing priority for national and local government. Local partnerships are demonstrating successful and innovative approaches to tackling the problem, writes Nigel Jones.

The fall-out from the recession appears to be hitting young people far harder than other age groups within society.

A recent report by the LGA and the Centre for Social Justice estimates that the number of young people out of work and not in education or training could pass the one million mark this month – an indication of how the economic downturn has had a severe impact on young people who have been particularly badly hit by recent rises in unemployment.

Large numbers of young people not in jobs or training is an enormous waste of opportunity and potential and has significant implications for the rest of society.

Being out of a job and not in education or training between the ages of 16 and 18 is a major predictor of later unemployment, low income, teenage motherhood, depression and poor physical health.

Early intervention

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show that one in five people aged 16 to 24 is now looking for work – the highest number on record.

The number of jobless in this age group rose from 928,000 to 947,000 – edging closer to the one million landmark and adding to fears of a ‘lost generation’ of young people.

The LGA report, ‘Hidden talents: reengaging young people’ suggests possible improvements to the public sector’s approach. It suggests much earlier intervention to identify young people at risk of dropping out; allowing councils to fund employment and training projects for young people against projected future benefit savings; and dropping the distinction between 16 to 18-year-olds and 19 to 24-year-olds to bring about a more coherent way of dealing with young people not in jobs or training.

Coordinated approach

Cllr Margaret Eaton, chairman of the LGA, said: “It is deeply worrying that the nation seems set on a course to have a million young people not in any form of education or work. That is a million young people stuck in a rut, not able to get on and do something productive with their lives and not contributing to the economy.

“In the short-term, councils should be freed up to run job and training programmes funded on the basis of future savings from benefits once young people are contributing to the economy.

“In the longer-term, we need a simpler system that intervenes much earlier to spot children at risk of dropping out of the system. If we are to stop this problem continuing in the decades to come, a more far-sighted approach needs to be taken today.”

The local government sector is well placed to make a difference for those at risk of dropping out.

The Improvement and Development Agency’s partnerships and places library contains case studies from local authorities around the country outlining their approach to tackling the issue in their area.

In Manchester, the city council recruited a dedicated person to coordinate work with those young people and has developed a multi-agency programme to bring together key partner agencies who work with young people and their families.

The London borough of Newham has adopted a new and more flexible approach to tackling the problem which includes earlier intervention, better tracking and strong partnership working with third sector organisations. The strategy is improving Newham’s ability to offer what young people need, particularly those who are on the fringes of the statutory system.

Priority work

And in Bradford, which has one of the highest rates in the country of young people not in education, employment or training, the council and the Learning and Skills Council have gone into partnership with Careers Bradford and Connexions West Yorkshire as well as other local service providers.

In addition, the partnership works with voluntary sector youth groups such as the Bangladeshi Youth Organisation, and a range of Bradford city projects.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has also identified reducing the number of young people not in a job or training as a priority. Its work is structured around four key themes that are essential to reducing the proportion of young people not in work or training.

They are:

• careful tracking for early identification of those young people who are not in a job or training;
• personalised guidance and support to enable young people to access suitable provision, and to tackle barriers to learning;
• a flexible mix of learning provision, both preand post-16, designed to meet the needs of every young person;
• an emphasis on rights and responsibilities so that there are clear incentives on young people to re-engage quickly if they drop out.

To accompany this, the DCSF has a ‘September guarantee’ – an offer of further learning opportunities to young people completing compulsory education starting each September which was implemented nationally in 2007.

However, despite these efforts, the problem of young people not in employment, education or training persists and, due to the recession, it appears to be getting worse.

For more information on these and other council case studies visit the IDeA’s partnerships and places library at www.library.idea.gov.uk

• Nigel Jones is client and content manager for the partnerships team at the IDeA.

Future horizons

While recruiting to its apprenticeship scheme, Lancashire county council found that some looked-after children and young people who were not in education, training or employment were not yet ready to become apprentices.

So the council set up a programme to equip these young people aged 16-18 with the skills and knowledge they needed in order to be successful when applying for the apprenticeship scheme.

Future horizons, the council’s preapprenticeship scheme, gives participants the skills and knowledge needed to apply for a public sector apprenticeship.

Working in partnership with the North Lancashire training group, it provides employability qualifications, basic life skills, career information and advice, and a structured eight-week placement (which can be extended) at the county council or with a partner organisation – an essential stepping stone in securing an apprenticeship.

During the placement, the young people can work towards a City and Guilds employability and personal development qualification which prepares them for working towards an NVQ in the workplace.

So far, 18 young people have taken part in the scheme, with 14 going on to secure employment or to further study, including Toni Brockbank (pictured above).