YOUTH

tracker
Issue4,Summer2010
Reportingonchallengesand
solutionsforyoungpeopleinthe
UK,duringrecessionandrecovery

Contents
WelcometothefourtheditionofYouthTracker,thequarterly
newsletterlookingathowBritain’syoungpeoplearefaringinthe
recessionandrecovery,andwhatcanbedonetosupportthem. Byyouth,foryouth 2
Augustbringstheprospectofexamresultsandyoungpeople Expertinsight:AndyRoss 4
havingtodecideontheirnextstepsinlife.ThiseditionofYouth Challengingthecurriculum 5
Tracker focusesonwhatwecandotoputtheseyoungpeopleat
theforefrontofeducationandskillspolicy. Infocus:Localauthorities 6
Welookatwhatsurveystellusaboutwhysomepeopledisengage Whatcancharitiesdothat
fromschool,andanalysethelatestlabourmarketstatisticsto governmentcan’t? 6
understandwhichyoungpeopleareatgreatestriskofbeingoutof ‘Neets’innumbers 9
workortraining.JohnHayesMP,Ministerwithjointresponsibilities
TheGovernment’s‘Neet’plans 10
inboththeDepartmentforEducationandtheDepartmentfor
Business,InnovationandSkills,setsoutthecoalitiongovernment’s Policyround-up 11
planstosupportyoungpeopleastheystarttheircareers. Researchround-up 12
Ofcourse,it’swhathappensonthegroundthatreallymakesa Acknowledgements/Contactus 12
difference.That’swhyweopenthiseditionwithaninterviewwith
a19-year-oldmanwhoistryingtochangethingsinhislocalarea,
andincludestoriesfromsomeofPrivateEquityFoundation’spast Downloadadditionalcopiesofthis
newsletteratwww.ippr.org/youthtracker
andpresentportfoliocharitiestounderstandwhatisgoingonin
ourcommunities. TheInstituteforPublicPolicyResearch
istheUK’sleadingprogressivethink
tank,producingcuttingedgeresearch
andinnovativepolicyideasforajust,
democraticandsustainableworld.
www.ippr.org

ThePrivateEquityFoundation(PEF)
KateStanley,deputydirector,ippr ShaksGhosh,chiefexecutive, wassetuptoempoweryoungpeopleto
PrivateEquityFoundation reachtheirfullpotential.Itdoesthisby
investingbothmoneyandexpertise
fromtheprivateequitycommunity,to
helpexcellentcharitiesachieveastep-
changeintheirimpact.
www.privateequityfoundation.org
Byyouth,foryouth
emotionalsupporttoyoungpeoplein fearofopeningupandhavingnarrow
ippr’sJonathanClifton Readingandhelpthembuildup horizons.Thesearethebarriersthat
travelledtoReadingtohear essentialskillsthattheymightbe havetobeovercomebeforemore
howoneoftheUK’smany lacking. structuredtrainingsessionsandsupport
youngpeopleclassedas TheideaforBasecametoMikein programmescanbeeffective.Ifa
‘Neet’,istakingmattersinto Aprilwhenhewaschattingtostaffand persondoesn’tthinkthereisvaluein
hisownhands friendsathislocalConnexionsservice. educationandtraining,ortheydon’t
Itaimstofillinthegapsinthecurrent thinktheyhavetheabilitytofindajob,
systemthathehasspottedfirst-hand. thennoamountoftrainingcourseswill
‘Peoplewillcomeandstartthecourse
‘Inanysystemthere’sgoingtobe helpthem.Whilethecurrentsystemis
andthey’llbelikeabrick–theywon’t
gaps’,Oliexplains,‘andthegapswe quitegoodatprovidingpractical
wanttodoanything,theywon’tsay
seearefortheyoungpeoplewhodon’t trainingsessionsforthingslikewritinga
anything,theymightnotwanttoeven
doparticularlywellinschool,butwho CV,intheviewofMikeandOliittends
bethere.Thetechniqueisnottochip
aren’ttheoneswithparticularlearning tofallatthismorebasichurdle.
awayatthebrick–cuddlethemand
difficultieseither.’ Muchofourconversationfocuseson
pamperthemand
thisissueofchangingculturesand
craplikethat–it’s
tosmashthebrick.’
“Thegapsweseearefortheyoung attitudesamong‘Neet’youngpeople.
‘Culturesdobuildup.Peoplewhoare
Ialmostdida peoplewhodon’tdoparticularly
frustratedsticktogroupstheyknow–
double-take.This wellinschool,butwhoaren’tthe it’saclanmentality.Ifyouspendallof
wasn’taretired oneswithparticularlearning yourtimewiththesamepeopleinthe
armymajortelling
meabouthis
difficultieseither” sameareainthesametown,youstart
toacceptthethingsyouseeasbeing
approachtoworking
thereality.’Mikebecomesquite
withso-called‘Neet’youngpeople
Theseyoungpeople’sproblemsare animatedwhentalkingaboutyoung
(thosenotineducation,employmentor
mildenoughthattheydonotregister people’sapathy,thefacttheyaccept
training):itwasanunemployed19-
withtheauthoritiesasrequiring theirsituationas‘justthewayitis’.
year-oldwholeftschoolatsixteen.Fed
specialisthelp.Nevertheless, theyend ‘That’soneofthekeythingsweneed
upwiththewaysuchyoungpeopleare
upleavingschoolwithfew tobreakdown’,hetellsme.
treatedbythesystem,MikeCronehas
qualifications,noworkexperience,and, AtonelevelBasewilldothisgently,
decidedtotrytodosomethingaboutit
often,anunsupportivehomelife.Itis bymixingdifferentgroupsofpeople
himself.‘It’slikeatherapyacademybut
thesepeoplewhofallthroughthegaps justtoshowthemthatthereareother
theydon’trealiseit.Whenyouneeda
inthesystemanditisthesegapsthat pathstheycanchoose,otherwalksof
cuddlewe’llgiveyouacuddle,but
Baseistryingtofill. lifeoutthere.But,heexplains,thereis
whenyouneedakickupthebackside
atough-loveelementtothistoo:‘we’ll
we’llkickyouhard.’
Changingattitudes askthem“whathaveyoudonerecently
IwenttoReadingtomeetMike,
toimproveyourownlife?”Andthen
himselfoneofthe900,000young ThemainwayBaseplanstofillthese
they’llhavetheanswersrightinfrontof
peoplethatareoutofemployment, gapsisbyprovidingemotionalsupport.
them.Youknow,iftheyare
educationortraininginBritain,andOli Theyhopetogetparticipantsdoinga
complainingtheyareunemployedbut
Greywhoworksfortheyouthcharity seriesofwhatseemlikeordinarytasks,
haven’tputinanyjobapplications,how
BACYP.Togethertheyaresettingupa butthataredesignedtohelpthemget
cantheyexpecttohaveajobwhen
projectcalledBase,whichwillprovide overbarrierssuchaslowconfidence,
they’vestoppedatthefirsthurdle?’

2 YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation

 workshops;moremixingwithadults.At
“Thisisnotjust onepointOliishalfwaythrough
abouthelpingyoung explainingthatPupilReferralUnitsare
forthosewhogetexcludedfromschool
peopletofindajob,
whenheisinterruptedbyMikewhohas
education,or agrinonhisface:‘Iknow,I’vebeenin
training.Itisabout acouple’.Interestingly,hesingstheir
themfindingaplace praises:‘theydowork–theteaching
techniquesaresomuchbetter.They
tobelong,aplacein workbecausetheytreatyoulikean
societyasawhole” adult.It’snotlikeinschoolwherethe
mentalityoftheteachersisthat“you’re
somuchlowerthanme”.’
OliandMike’smaincriticismofthe
educationsystemisthatitisveryone
Academicresearchsupportsthis goingthroughthefirstpilotgetoffered dimensional.Theycomplainabouta
focusontacklingperceptionsabout thechancetobecometheleadersfor lackofoptionsforthosewhodon’t
education,workandpeople’shorizons. thenextsessions’,saysOli.Thebenefits wanttogothetraditionalroute.
AnneGreenfromtheUniversityof ofthisapproachareclear–the ‘There’salotofstigma....Ifyou’renot
Warwickhasused‘mentalmaps’to participantsaretreatedlikeadults,with A-levels-university-jobthenyou’renot
demonstratehowtheplacepeoplelive validopinionsandskillsthattheycan ayouth’, saysMike.
inisimportantinshapingtheir contributetothesession.Byletting Thislastcommentcontainedamuch
experienceofthe themcontribute moretroublingundertonethan
anythingwehaddiscussedbefore.It
labourmarket–asit “Theplacepeoplelive inthiswayitcan
wasbecomingclearthatthisisnotjust
affectswhat givethemasense
opportunitiesthey
inisimportantin ofownershipand abouthelpingyoungpeopletofinda
seeandhowthey shapingtheir responsibilityand job,education,ortraining.Itisabout
interpretandacton experienceofthe buildtheirself- themfindingaplacetobelong,aplace
insocietyasawhole.‘Societyisnot
theinformation labourmarket” esteem.Itisalso
welcomingofus’,Mikecomplained.For
availabletothem. likelytobeafar
Butidentifyingthe moreeffective thosethatdonotfitintothetraditional
importanceofculturesandperceptions wayofembeddingchangethrough modelofuniversityeducation‘there’s
issurelytheeasytask.Changingthem peer-to-peernetworks,ratherthan nomicrophone,nospeaker,we’renot
isquiteadifferentstory.Andthisis tryingtoforceitonthemfromthetop. heardatall’.
whereBase’sapproachissoinnovative.
Itstaglineis‘byyouth,foryouth’and
Criticismsoftheeducation
theemphasisisonpeer-to-peer
system BaseisbeingpilotedinReadingasa
support.Theaimistogetthe
Ourconversationmovesonto ‘peer-led’projectwhereyoung
participantstorecruitotherpeopleto
educationandtheideasstartpouring peoplewhoareNeetcansupport
takepart,andtosettheirown
out:shiftingfromexamstoongoing eachother.Contactdetailsforthe
curriculumanddecidewhattheymost
assessment;tailoringsyllabusesforeach projectcanberequestedfrom
needhelpwith,andeventuallytohelp
individual;makinglessonsmorelike j.clifton@ippr.org
leadit.‘Theideaisthatthepeople

YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation 3

EXPERTINSIGHT
NatCen’sAndyRoss Catchthemyoung showsthoseatgreatestriskof
disengagingtendtobewhitemales
explainswhatleadssome InschoolYear9,wherethestudyfirst
fromdisadvantagedbackgrounds.
youngpeopletodisengage begancollectingdata,themajorityof
Whenconsideringissuesrelatingtothe
youngpeoplewerealreadyeither
fromeducation gapinattainmentitistherefore
engagedordisengagedandremainedin
importanttoalsoaddressthe‘gapin
thesamestatefortherestoftheir
Itisestimatedthatbetween engagement’andensurethatthese
compulsory
onefifthandonethirdofall youngpeoplecontinuetoseethe
schooling.
youngpeopleaged14–16are relevanceinandremaincommittedto
Therefore,
disengagedfromeducation. theireducation.Therewerealsoa
strategies
Usingdatafromthe numberofotherfactorsassociated
aimedat
LongitudinalStudyofYoung withyoungpeople’sdisengagement
improving
PeopleinEngland(LSYPE)– includingexperiencesofbullyingin
youngpeople’s
anationallyrepresentative school,thequalityoftherelationships
engagement
studyfollowingthelivesof thatyoungpeoplehadwiththeir
shouldreally
youngpeopleasthey teachersaswellasthegeneralculture
beginbeforethis
completetheirsecondary inrelationtotruancywithineach
time.
educationandbeyond–we school.
Nevertheless,
areabletogetabetter
thereappearsto
understandingofthekindsofyoung Keepingyoungpeople
beafurther,
peoplewhoaremostlikelyto interested
perhaps‘criticalpoint’inthetransition
disengage,theageatwhichtheydoso Onamorepositivenotethestudy
betweenYears9and10duringwhicha
aswellasthesomeofthefactorsthat highlightssomepotentialstrategies
significantnumberofyoungpeople
helporhinderyoungpeople’s thatmightservetoimprovelevelsof
disengage.Thisisthepointatwhich
engagementwitheducation. engagement.Forexample,wherethere
youngpeoplestarttheirGCSE
Thestudyidentifiesdifferent‘types’ wasevidenceofapositiverelationship
qualifications,aperiodassociatedwith
ofengagedordisengagedyoung betweenschoolsandyoungpeople’s
increasedworkload,butalsoperhapsfor
peoplebasedonacombinationoftheir parentsthese
someaperiod
attitudes,behaviourandmotivations.
Forexample,aboutaquarterofyoung
associatedwith “Strategiesaimedat sameyoung
increasedanxiety peoplewere
peopledislikedschoolbutnevertheless
overthe
gettingmoreschools morelikelyto
remainedcommittedtoeducationin
recognitionthat workingwithparentsmight beengaged,
thelongerterm,achievingalmostas beonewaytoimprove which
worknowcounts
wellastheirengagedpeers.However, suggeststhat
onegroupstoodoutasbeinga
towardsfinal levelsofengagement”
qualifications. strategies
particularcauseforconcern.Abouta aimedat
fifthofyoungpeoplewerefarless gettingmoreschoolsworkingwith
committedtoeducation,muchmore Whodisengages? parentsmightbeonewaytoimprove
likelytoplaytruantandhadespecially Lookingmorecloselyatthekindsof levelsofengagement.
poorattitudestoschool.Overaquarter youngpeoplewhoaremostlikelyto Anotherstrategyliesinensuringthat
ofthese‘disengaged’youngpeople disengage,thestudysupportsalotof gettingagoodeducationremains
were‘Neet’thefollowingyear. previousresearchinthisareathat relevanttothelivesofyoungpeople.

4 YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation

Fordisengagedyoungpeoplehavinga
jobthatpaidwellwasheldin
particularlyhighesteem,moresothan
Challengingthecurriculum
byotheryoungpeople,yetatthesame SarahGracey outlinesfour (CEG)canbeunsystematicandof
timetheformerwerefarlesslikelyto changestoschoolsandthe unevenquality.Europeansystems
recognisetheimportanceofeducation curriculumthatcouldhelp oftenhavestructuredcareersadvice
inachievingthisaim.Aqualitative tacklethe‘Neet’problem fromage12or13.Careersguidance
study,alsocarriedoutatNatCen, needstobeginmuchearlierinschool
foundthatquiteoftendisengaged andbedeliveredbyanindependent,
youngpeopleexpressedregretlateron 1.Thecurriculum professionalservice.
atnothavingunderstoodthata Thecurriculumatage14stilldoesnot Moreimaginative,extensiveand
minimumnumberofGCSEswere offersufficientflexibility.Thereare structuredworkexperienceshouldbe
requiredformostcollegecourses, notenoughoptionsforvariedcourses embeddedthroughoutthecurriculum
work-basedlearningsettings,and andhands-onlearningforthosewho andcoursematerialsfromYear7
‘decentjobs’.Thisinformationneedsto aredisengagedfromschoolor onwardsandnotjustbeatwoweek
becommunicatedtoyoungpeople undecidedabouttheiroptions. experiencetackedontheendofYear
early,beforeYear9,andmore Programmesallowing14yearolds 10or11.Technologycouldbeused
importantlyinamannerthatisrelevant tostepoutofaschools-based farmoreinnovativelyindeveloping
tothem,perhapsbyfocusingontheir nationalcurriculumforayearand learningtoolsconnectingschools
long-termearningcapacity. experiencearangeoftastercourses withplacesofwork.
Disengagedyoungpeopleweremore andpracticallearning,alongsidekey
likely toenjoyandhaveconfidencein skillstraining,havebeenhugely 4.Transitionperiods
studyingICT(Informationand successfulinimprovingattitudeand Thesupportavailableatvital
CommunicationTechnology)thanother retention.Youngstersatriskof transitionpointswithineducation
subjects,suggestingthatthe disengagingshouldhavethis‘year needstobeimproved.InYear7,
broadeningoftheschoolcurriculum out’optionavailableatage14. smallergroups,buddysystemswith
givingyoungpeoplemore olderstudents,mentoringand
opportunitiestostudyvocationaltype 2.Flexibility intensivecatch-up,canallhelpthe
qualificationsmightbeanotherwayto transitionfromprimarytosecondary
Progressionroutesneedtomakeit
improvelevelsofengagement.Finally, school.TransitionsfromKeyStage3
easiertochangetack,re-skilland
therewasalsoevidencethatparental toKeyStage4andfromschoolto
pursuedifferentqualifications,not
andteachersupervisionofhomework, collegemustalsobesupported.
justtohelp‘disengaged’or
andhavingextracurricularactivityand Weneedchangesinthesefour
‘undecided’learnersfindwhatisbest
studysupportonoffer,mayalsoplaya areastoensureallyoungpeoplecan
forthem,butalsotoenablepeople
positiverole. beinspiredandproperlysupportedto
tore-skillinachanging,flexible
economy.Itcanalsohelppeoplewho makethemostoftheirlearning
havealreadydroppedoutof opportunities.
educationtore-engagemoreeasily.
AndyRossisResearchDirector, Skillsaccountscanbeanimportant
SarahGraceyisaPolicyAnalyst
ChildrenandYoungPeople,at tooltoenablethisflexibility.
atLSNCentreforInnovationin
NatCen.Detailsofhisresearchcan Learning.TheCentre’srecent
befoundatwww.natcen.ac.uk/ 3.Careerseducationand report‘ChangingtheNeet
study/disengagement-from- guidance mindset’canbedownloaded
education-among-14-16-year-olds Careerseducationandguidance fromwww.lsnlearning.org.uk

YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation 5

Infocus:Localauthorities Whatcanc
Whereasemployersprizedemployability VolunteerReadingHelp
On1April2010,local and‘soft’skillsmosthighly,young
authoritiesacrossEngland peoplethoughttechnicalandmanagerial
VolunteerReadingHelpaimsto
weregivenresponsibilityfor createanationofconfidentchildren
skillsweremoreimportant.Theyalso
commissioning16–19 whoareliterateforlifethroughthe
hadaratherlimitedawarenessofthe
sustainedsupportofatrained
education.Here,Joe rangeofjobsandcareerpathsavailable
volunteerreadinghelperatthechild’s
Dromey explainswhatthe tothemlocally.Thisshowstheneedfor
primaryschool.
LondonBoroughofNewham morefocusedinformation,adviceand
Thekeytooursuccessisthe
guidance,informedbythedemandsof
haslearnedaboutwhereto patienceandenthusiasmofour
thelocaleconomy.
focustheservicesit volunteerswhohelp‘sell’readingtoa
Theresearchalsoshowedthatcontact
commissions. withemployerswhileineducation,for
child.Theone-to-onenatureofthe
sessionsallowsustotailorthemto
examplethroughworkexperience,
Newham’sresearch,whichwillinformus eachchild’sneedsandearly
helpedyoungpeoplemakebetter,more
aswecommissionservicesinthe interventionmeansachildcangoon
informedchoices.However,most
borough,showedthatparentswerethe tosecondaryschoolwiththereading
employerswespoketohadno
biggestinfluenceonyoungpeople’s confidencenecessarytosucceed.
involvementineducation.
decisionsabout Arecharitiesinapositiontodo
Whereasthosewhowere
coursesandcareers, “TheEducation engagedreported
more?Well,inthecaseofVolunteer
followedbyteachers Maintenance numerousbenefits,those
Reading
andfriends.
Allowancehas whowerenotdidnotsee
Help,we “Ouronly
However,thereis
beeninstrumental the‘businesscase’for
havebeen constraintin
currentlylittlehelp involvedin
availableforparents toincreasing doingso.Mostemployers
providing
reachingmore
inunderstandingthe participation”
alsostruggledto
servicesfor childrenis
comprehendthearrayof
pathwaysavailableto
qualificationsavailable.
37years capacity”
theirchildren.Much andwill
Thereseemstobeanopportunityto
morecouldbedoneheretoequip continuetodoso.Ouraim,of
reachouttoemployers,demonstrating
parentswiththeinformationtheyneed course,istoattractmoreandmore
thecaseforengagementandensuring
toguidetheirchildren’schoices. volunteerstoengageinthislife-
theyunderstandthefullrangeof
Theresearchalsoshowedthe changingactivityforchildren.Wedo
qualificationsandcoursesnowavailable.
significanceoftheEducation notseeourroleas‘replacing’
Finally,forthosewhoslipthroughthe
MaintenanceAllowance[seep11].The existingeducationalservicesbut
netandbecomeNeet,themosteffective
majorityofyoungpeopleinreceiptof supplementingthem.
approachforre-engagementinvolves
theEMAsaiditwasanimportantfactor Ouronlyconstraintinreaching
flexiblevoluntarysectorprovision,
intheirdecisiontocontinuestudying. morechildreniscapacity–thisyear
supportedbyyouthworkers,offering
TheEMAhasbeeninstrumentalto wearehelping20percentmorethan
smallstepsofprogression.
increasingparticipationamongpoorer lastyearbutwecanonlycontinueto
studentsandanymovetoscrapitmust JoeDromeyisaSeniorPolicy growwherefundingisavailableto
beresisted. OfficerintheLondonBoroughof bothusasacharityandtothe
Youngpeopletendedtobeunaware Newham.Seewww.newham.gov. schoolsthemselves.
ofthedemandsoflocalbusinesses. uk/furthereducationresearch www.vrh.org.uk
..........................................................

6 YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation

haritiesdothatgovernmentcan’t?
ThePlace2Be Sincebeingelectedtooffice,PrimeMinisterDavidCameronhasmade
Place2Becounsellorsworkinschoolsto animpassionedpleafora‘bigsociety’toreplacethe‘bigstate’in
identifyandaddressthecauseof providingpublicservices.Akeyplankofthisplanistoincreasethe
emotionalandmentalhealthproblems, numberofsocialenterprises,charitiesandcommunitygroupsproviding
beforetheyhavereachedapointwhen services.YouthTrackercaughtupwithsomeleadingcharitiesworkingin
achild’sdevelopment,educationand education,tofindoutthekeytotheirsuccess.
wellbeingarecompromised. Weaskedthesecharitiesiftheyarewellplacedtoplaymoreofarole,if
EarlyinterventioniscentraltoThe theGovernment’saimsarerealistic,whatcharitiescandothat
Place2Be:counsellorsworkwith governmentcannot,andwhatwillneedtochangetoallowcharitiesto
childrenasyoungasfour,aswellas playmoreofaroleintacklingthe‘Neet’problem.
theirfamiliesandteachers.Working
insideschool,ThePlace2Bebecomes Theseorganisationsclearlyhavemuchtoofferthatcentralgovernment
integraltotheday-to-dayschool cannot:nicheskillsandexpertise;localcontactandtrustwithservice
activity,sothereisnostigmaattached users;flexibilityinresponsetochangingneeds;andafreedomfromparty
tousingtheservice. politics.Butthecharitiesarealsoatpainstopointoutthattheyarejustas
Intermsofwhethercharitiesareable dependentonfundingasotherserviceproviders–andthatbudget
todomore,ThePlace2Behasatried cutbackscouldimpactonareasoftheirservicethatarecommissionedby
andtestedmodelthathasbeenhoned schoolsandlocalauthorities.
forover16yearsbut,likeother
charities,itisreliantonfunding.The fundingneedstobesustainedand helping,developingpositive,long-term
Place2Behasanincomemadeupfrom increasedduringthesefinancially relationshipsbuiltontrust.Charitiesare
schools(25percent),companies, challengingtimes. causedrivenandnotaffectedbyparty
trustsandfoundations(30percent), Incontrasttogovernment,charities politics.
government(28percent)and areexpertsintheirfieldandcancreate Charitiesneedbothfinancialsupport
individualsandtraining.IfThe directandpersonalconnectionswith andconsistentgovernmentpolicyto
Place2Beistorolloutitsservice, thepeopleandcommunitiestheyare tacklethe‘neet’problem.Itisvitalthat
long-termfunding(3–5years)is
providedinordertoallowtheworkto
VolunteerReadingHelpassists makeadifference.
thisyoungreaderwithhis www.theplace2be.org.uk
comprehension ..............................................................
School-HomeSupport
(SHS)
SHSplacespractitionersinschoolsto
supportchildrenandfamilieswhatever
theyaregoingthrough.Weactasa
bridgebetweenschoolandhome.
Charitiesareoftenwellplacedto
deliverpersonalservicesandhavea
greattrackrecordofreachingpeople
whofindithardtoaccessstatutory

YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation 7

Whatcancharitiesdothatgovernmentcan’t?
providespastoralsupport.Most
AnIntoUniversitymentor
wideningparticipationprogrammes
helpsyoungchildren
beginatsecondaryschool–westartat
ageseven.
Charitieslikeoursalreadyprovide
valuablecommunityservicesandoften
inmorecreativeandefficientwaysthan
statutorybodies.However,ifcharities
aretobemoreinvolvedindeveloping
services,theremustalsobeadequate
andsustainedfundingandthe
underpinningofcrucialpublicservices
tosupportcharitywork.
Intermsofwhatcharitiescando
versusgovernment,locally-based
charitiessuchasoursareattunedtothe
services.However,governmenthasto whattheydo,sotheyhaveaverygood needsofourusersandcanbe
beveryclearwhyitisaskingcharities understandingoftheirclientgroupand responsivetograssrootscommunity
todotheprovision–ifitislookingfor developservicestosuit;sadlymany needs.Ourefficientgovernanceand
effectiveness,that’sgreat;ifitisjust statutoryservicesaredeliveredina managementstructuresallowusto
lookingforacheapwayofgetting specificwaythatsuitstheservice,not respondquicklysothatnewprojects
whatwasastatutorilyprovidedservice theindividual. canbelaunched,ifnecessary,withina
therecouldbedisappointment. Charitiesalsohavetheaddedbenefit coupleofmonthswithouthavingto
ofattractingvoluntaryincomeand workthroughlayersofbureaucracy.
“Ifgovernmentis gainingthesupportofthegeneral Charitiescanalsomobilisevolunteers
lookingfor publiceitherfinancially,through bothintheirmanagementanddelivery,
volunteeringtheirtimeorinraising
effectiveness,that’s awarenessandcampaigning.
addingconsiderablevalue.
IntoUniversityvolunteerscontribute
great;ifitisjustlooking www.shs.org.uk overtwohundredthousandpounds
foracheapwayof .............................................................. worthoftimetothecharityeveryyear.
gettingwhatwasa IntoUniversity Thecharityisalsoabletocreate
statutorilyprovided IntoUniversityprovides7–18yearolds
innovativepartnershipsbetween
separatebusinessandeducation
servicetherecouldbe withacombinationofafterschool
sectors.
disappointment” support,undergraduatementorsand
Ifwewereinthenewgovernment,to
speciallydesigned
helpyoungpeople
studyprogrammes
Whatcharitiesdoisspotaneedand toraiseaspiration
“Ifwewereinthenew flourishwewould
createafocuson
workouthowbesttotackleit.Because andattainment. government,wewould
earlyintervention
theycangenerallybelightontheirfeet Thesearedelivered createafocusonearly andprevention.
inpartnershipwith
andinnovative,theyareabletoadjust
schoolsand
interventionand Fromour
provisiontomeettheneedsof
individuals.Itismuchharderfor universities. prevention” experience,much
moreworkneeds
statutoryservicestobeabletoadapt Thekeytoour
tohappenintheprimaryschoolyears
swiftlytoneworchangingneeds. successisthatweareanearly
toavoidproblemslateron.
Charitiesalsotendtobespecialistsin interventionprogrammewhichalso
www.intouniversity.org

8 YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation

‘Neets’innumbers
Aswegotopress,studentsupanddownthecountryareanxiouslyawaitingtheirexamresults.
YouthTracker takesacloserlookatwhichstudentsareatgreatestriskofbecoming‘neet’.

Newspaperheadlineshavetendedto
Table1:Riskofbecoming‘Neet’byhighestlevelofqualification(%),16–24
focusontheshockingnumbersof
yearolds
graduatesnowfacingunemployment–
withfearsofdisillusionedgraduates Q12008 Q12010 PPChange %Change
unabletofindworkdespitehaving Degree 7.5 11.4 3.9 52
goodqualifications. HE 7.9 12.9 5 63.3
Butippr’sanalysisoftheLabour Level3 6.4 9.1 2.7 42.2
ForceSurveyshowsthatthisismissing Level2 14 16.1 2.1 15
thebiggerpicture.Whileitistruethat None 34.6 36.1 1.5 4.3
graduateshaveseenthefastest DatafromLabourForceSurvey
increaseinthenumbersbecoming
‘Neet’overthelastfewyears,their alsohigherthantheratefor
overallriskofbecoming‘Neet’isstill universitygraduates.
muchlowerthanfortheir
contemporarieswithnoorlowlevelsof Lookingathowtheriskofbecoming
qualifications;itisthislattergroupthat ‘Neet’haschangedovertime,thedata
stillrunsbyfarthebiggestriskof revealsthattherearetwoquite
becoming‘Neet’. differentstoriestobetold:
•Forgraduates,therisingnumber
Someofthekeystatisticsare: whoarenotinworkorenrolledon
•Youngpeoplewithdegreeshave acourseisaresultoftherecession
seenasharpincreaseintheirrisk –thenumberinthiscategoryhas
ofbecoming‘Neet’sincethe increasedbyoverahalfsincethe
recessionbegan.Theirriskhas recessionhitin2008.Experience
increasedby50percentsincethe tellsusthatthesegraduatesare
onsetofrecession. likelytodobetterthannon-
•However,thetotalproportionof graduates whentheeconomy
peoplewithdegreesthatbecome recovers.
‘Neet’remainsoneofthelowest •Ontheotherhand,foryoung notconnectedtotherecent
ofanygroup–with11.4percent peoplewithnoqualifications, economicupheaval.
being‘Neet’inthefirstquarterof therecessionhashadonlyavery
2010. smallimpact.Overathird(34.6 Whiletheimpactoftherecessionon
•Incontrast,theproportionof percent)ofthisgroupwere graduateemploymentisacausefor
youngpeoplewithno already‘Neet’beforethe concern,itmustnotdetractourattention
qualificationsthatbecome‘Neet’ recessionstruck,andinthefirst fromthelong-standingstructural
is36.1percent. quarterof2010thisremainedat problemsfacingthoseatthebottomend
•Theproportionofyoungpeople asimilarrate– 36.1percent. oftheeducationsystemandlabour
withlowlevel(level2) Thissuggestsalong-term market.Theseproblemsareunlikelytogo
qualificationsis16.1percent– problemwhoseroutecausesare awaywhentherecoveryissecured.

YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation 9

TheGovernment’s‘Neet’plans
worthwhiletraining,getintoworkand Inthecurrenteconomicclimate
JohnHayesMP,Ministerof carveoutacareer. collegesandtrainingprovidersneedto
Stateatboththe Two-thirdsoftheApprenticeships beabletodeliverresponsiveandflexible
DepartmentforBusiness, budget(£1.2billion)istargetedat16– trainingthatisrelevanttothelabour
InnovationandSkillsandthe 18yearoldsandtheadditionalfunding marketandemployertrainingneeds.We
DepartmentforEducation, (£150million)redeployedfromTrainto havegivenwellperformingcolleges
explainshowthecoalition Gainwillfurtherhelpyoungadultsby moresayoverwhattheydowiththeir
governmentplansto creatingaround50,000newtraining adultfunding,sothatcoursesthatareof
positions.We economicbenefitandinhighdemand
tacklethenumberof
reallybelieve aresupported.Thiswillhelpalllearners,
‘Neet’youngpeople
that includingdisadvantagedyoungpeople.
acrossBritain. apprenticeships However,IwanttoenabletheFurther
providean Educationsystemtobecomeevenmore
Forthemanyyoungpeople
important flexible,todelivermoreforless,andI
whoareleavingsixthforms
vocationalroute wanttohearfromthesectorhowthis
andcollegesatthistimeof
foryoungpeople canbedone.On22JulyIlaunched
year,thoughtsnaturallyturn
todeveloptheir parallelconsultationsonthe
tothenextstageintheir
skillsandprogress Government’sfuturestrategyforskills
lives.Somewillbeplanning
intheworkplace. andthefundingofadultlearning,the
tostayineducation,others
Apprenticeslearn outcomeofwhichwillinformthis
willbepreparingforthe
whiletheywork, autumn’sSpendingReview.[Thelinkto
worldofwork.Butwhatofthosewhodo
earnawageandcontributetothe thedocumentandresponsepagesis:
notgetthegradestheyneed,orwho
successofthebusiness. www.bis.gov.uk/skills-consultation.]
cannotfindajob?Employmenthasbeen
Wearealsoensuringthat Wearealsolaunchinganewadult
hitbadlyintherecession,aswewell
governmentsupportisbeingdirected careersservice,NextStep,whichwill
know,anditisyoungpeoplethathave
intherightwaytosupportpeopleand makeiteasierforpeopletoseekhelp
takenthebruntofthedownturn.
industryastheeconomycontinuesto andguidanceonwork,careerand
MycolleaguesandIareworking
growandthedemandforskilled trainingopportunities.Informationand
closelytogethertoaddresstheissueof
workersreturns.Weareworkingto adviceisavailablefacetoface,overthe
risingnumbersof18–24yearoldsnotin
ensurethatthereissupportavailableto telephoneandonline.
education,employmentortraining
helpyoungpeopletodeveloptheskills Ifirmlybelievethatskillsareessential
(Neet).Iwanttobeclearthateveryone
neededtosecureasustainablejob. toobtaining,maintainingandprogressing
shouldbeentitledtotrainingandwork
Youngpeoplewillbenefitfroman insustainedemployment.Weneedto
opportunities,andtheseopportunities
integratedWorkProgrammewhichwill encourageyoungpeople,whetherthey
needtobeofvaluetotheindividual,
beintroducedbythesummerof2011, areinemploymentornot,todevelopand
employerandtheeconomy.Weknow
andwillofferpeopletargeted, improvetheskillsthatwillhelpthem
thatwhenyouarestuckinarut,orina
personalisedhelp,deliveredthrough progress.Thiswillhelpthembecome
cycleofinterviewsandrejections,itis
thebestprivateandvoluntarysector moreconfident,secureagoodjob,
hardtofeelpositiveandmotivatedto
providers.Wealsowanttosupport provideforthemselvesandtheirfamilies
keeplookingforabreak.That’swhywe
youngunemployedpeoplenotinthe andcontributetotheircommunity.By
aredeterminedtoprovideasmany
WorkProgrammetogainwork buildingskills,educationandtrainingalso
chancesforpeopleofallagestogain
experience. helpstobuilda‘BigSociety’.

10 YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation

Policyround-up
AnewgovernmenthasbeenformedsincethelasteditionofYouthTracker andithasmadea
numberofchangestopolicy.HavingheardfromJohnHayesMP,opposite,belowwepresent
ourround-upofsomeofthechanges.Wealsorecommendcheckingtherelevantdepartment
websitesforthemostup-to-dateannouncements.

EMA:Safefornow fromdisadvantagedfamilies– Changestocurriculum

althoughtheexactsizeofthepremium
TheEducationalMaintenance TheGovernmentiscurrentlyreviewing
willnotbeannounceduntilafterthe
Allowance(cashgivento16–18year thenationalcurriculumandchanges
SpendingReviewthisAutumn.
oldstohelpthemcarryonlearning) willbeannouncedshortly.Ministers
willbepaidinfullthisyear.Butthe havepromisedareturntomore
ResponsetoSelect
Governmentwillnotmakeany ‘traditionalsubjects’,afocuson‘the
Committeeon‘Neets’
announcementsaboutitslong-term basics’andgivingteachersmore
futureuntiltheAutumn. InthespringeditionofYouthTracker flexibilitytochoosewhattheyteach.
wereportedonaSelectCommittee www.education.gov.uk/curriculum
reviewofyoungpeoplewhoare
Connexionsbeinghit ‘Neet’.TheGovernmenthaspublished
bycuts aresponsetothisreportinwhichit
Consultationonwelfare
Connexionsservices,whichprovide acceptsmanyoftheCommittee’s
reform
impartialcareersadviceforyoung findings,butrejectstheideaof TheDepartmentforWorkandPensions
people,arefacingcutsinsomeareas. extendingtheso-called‘September hasissuedaconsultationdocument
Soonaftertheelectionthe guarantee’ofaplaceinfurther entitled‘21stCenturyWelfare’.Itsets
DepartmentforEducation(DfE)asked educationto18yearolds. outwaystosimplifythebenefits
localauthoritiestomakesavingsby www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/c systemandimproveincentivestowork,
reducingtheir‘area-basedgrants’. m201011/cmselect/cmeduc/416/416 suchasallowingpeopletokeepmore
AlthoughtheDfEdidnotstipulate .pdf ofwhattheyearnastheymoveinto
exactlywherethecutsshouldfall, workwhilewithdrawingbenefitsata
manylocalauthoritieshavedecidedto single,morereasonablerateaspeople
NationalCitizensService
makecutstoConnexions.Theunion starttoearnmoremoney.The
pilotsplanned
UnisonhaslaunchedaSavethe documentincludesippr’sproposalfora
ConnexionsServicecampaign. Aprogrammefor16yearoldsto SingleWorkingAgeBenefit.
However,theGovernmentisalso undertakeaformof‘nationalservice’ www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/21st-century-
launchinganewadultcareersservice inthesummermonthswillbepiloted welfare.pdf
called‘NextStep’. nextsummer.Participantswillspendat www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports
leasttendaysawayfromhome /publication.asp?id=552
Pupilpremium completingoutdoorchallengesand
communitywork.
TheGovernmentwillintroducea‘pupil
www.number10.gov.uk/news/topstor
premium’–whichwillgiveschools
ynews/2010/07/pm-launches-
extrafundingiftheytakechildren
national-citizen-service-pilots-53775

YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation 11

Researchround-up

Internsneedafairwage betterway.Italsocallsforintervention AnatomyofYouth

(ippr,July2010) tosupportunder-16satriskof (Demos,2010)
droppingoutofschool,andbetter
Thisbriefingpaperexaminestherole Startingfromananalysisofthe
schemestoencourageyoungpeople
andnatureofunpaidinternshipsinthe attitudesof16–25yearoldsandsome
intotrainingorwork.
UK.Manywell-qualified,talentedand ofthekeytrendstheyarecurrently
www.audit-commission.gov.uk/
passionateyoungpeoplelackthe livingthrough,AnAnatomyofYouth is
SiteCollectionDocuments/AuditComm
resourcestopaytheirownwaythrough aresourceforpeopleinterestedinwhat
issionReports/NationalStudies/NEETs
anunpaidinternship.Theinformal politicscandoforthenextgeneration.
Againsttheodds.pdf
systemofunpaidinternshipsoperating Itassertsthatthegreatestassetwecan
inmanyofthemostexcitingand givethisgenerationismorepolitical
influentialindustriesactivelyexcludes Openingdoorsto capitalandthechancetoshapethe
youngpeoplewhocomefromlesswell- apprenticeships(Young debateabouttheissuesthatwillaffect
offfamilies.Thepaperproposesa Foundation,June2010) themtomorrow.
gradualphasingoutofunpaid Thisisthesecondoftwolinkedreports www.demos.co.uk/files/AoY_webfile.
internshipsanddiscussessomeoptions onapprenticeships.Itconsidersthe pdf?1270387139
forensuringthatmoreyoungpeople practicalnextstepsthatneedtobe
haveaccesstopaidinternship takeninordertobetterunderstand OfficialNeetstatistics
opportunities. disadvantageand/ordisengagement (DfE,August2010)
www.ippr.org/publicationsandreports fromapprenticeships,toraise
/publication.asp?id=765 InAugusttheDepartmentfor
awareness,tocreatemoreeffective
Educationpublisheditsquarterly
routestoapprenticeships,andto
statisticsonthelevelsofyoungpeople
Againsttheodds(Audit improveemployerengagement.Itis
whoareNeet.Itnotesthatthe
Commission,July2010) oftenthecasethattheyoungpeople
proportionof16–18yearoldswhoare
whopotentiallyhavethemosttogain
Thisreportanalysestherecordsof Neethasremainedbroadlystablesince
fromtakinganapprenticeshiparealso
24,000youngpeoplein10different 2003–moreinthisagerangearein
thosewhoexperiencethegreatest
areasbetween2007and2009.Itfinds educationbutfewerareinemployment.
barrierstoaccess.
thatoneinfour16to18yearoldswas DatafromConnexionsshowNeetlevels
Thispublicationformspartofthe
categorisedasNeetatsomepointin arehighestintheNorthandlowestin
ongoingworkoftheYoung
thetwo-yearperiod–farhigherthan London.ThemajorityofNeetyoung
Foundation’sApprenticeshipPathfinder
nationalstatisticswouldsuggest.The peopledidnothave‘anidentifiable
Project.
reportcallsforcouncilstogettogrips barrier’toparticipation.
www.youngfoundation.org/files/imag
withtheneedsoftheirlocalteenagers www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR
es/OpeningDoors2_FINAL.pdf
andforfundingtobetargetedina /d000950/NEETQB2_2010.pdf

YouthTracker:Acknowledgements| Contactus
ThisnewsletterwascompiledandeditedbyJonathanClifton.Hewouldliketo
thankKayteLawton,KateStanleyandFionaMurrayfortheirhelpandfeedback.
ThenewsletterwasproducedbyGeorginaKyriacou.ipprandPEFwouldliketo
thankallthosewhocontributedindividualarticlestothispublication.

Ifyouhaveanyfeedbackonthisnewsletter,pleasecontactJonathanCliftonon
+44(0)2074706166orj.clifton@ippr.org

12 YOUTHTRACKERIssue4,Summer2010 | ippr | PrivateEquityFoundation