Courses, Documents & Links for Professionals in North Yorkshire

NYCC Youth Support Service's Get Connected Now weekly update - 30 January 2012 - no 39

Click on the section that you would like to see and you will be taken to that section:

1. The YSS Get Connected Now weekly update past editions
2. Posters and handouts
3. Transition information April 2011
4. IAG Standards and IAG Steering Groups
5. CEIAG course materials from CPD sessions 2010/2011
6. Resources for schools/colleges
7. National STEM Centre eNewsletter  
8. Post 16 Careers Work Current issues and best practice - 30 October 2010
9. Useful Documents and Links
10. General IAG
11. UCAS Progress and CAP
12. Qualifications including apprenticeships
13. Care to Learn
14. Finance information
15. Safeguarding 
16. Tier 3 referral services
17. Risky behaviour
18. Supporting young people who are NEET
19. Rapid assessment - YSS centres
20. gimi events and information
21. Volunteering and citizenship and work experience
22. Labour Market Information
23. Employment and Skills e-bulletin
24. Working with parents
25. Private fostering
26. Destination data
27. National Apprenticeship Week 2011
28. Employer engagement and work experience
29. Connexions courses North Yorkshire
30. Courses/events run by other organisations
31. Future developments for IAG
32. Careersbox Careers Week 2011
33. Get Connected Now familiarisation
34. Campaigns

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This weekly update tells you about additions to this website and articles and news of interest to all who work with young people:

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Here you will find posters and handouts which you may find useful including a Get Connected Now briefing paper:

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The Connexions service which offers careers guidance to young people in North Yorkshire is currently undergoing a period of change.

From the 1st April 2011:

• Careers Advisers will continue to provide careers information, advice and giudance in schools and colleges
• There will still be staff in the hubs offering support and advice to young people but the opening times will be different
• There will be a Personal Adviser able to provide careers guidance although young people may need to arrange appointments if they require a guidance interview
• Targeted Youth Support Personal Advisers, who work with vulnerable young people and the 4 Youth Service, will still be delivering their range of activities and services to young people
• We would advise that the best place to keep up to date with this is this website or to phone your local hub.

This is the press release that went out in the week of 14 March.  You will see articles in the local and possibly the national press as well as interviews on local radio and possibly TV. 

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• IAG Standards - User Guide
• National IAG Standards
• National IAG Strategy
• Statutory Guidance for Impartial Careers Education
• A presentation which identifies leadership approaches to the delivery of IAG in a range of secondary schools across England
• A presentation outlining CPD for careers education and IAG in schools and colleges
• Statutory guidance: impartial careers education resources pack
• Careers Education Framework 7 - 19 Statutory Guidance: Impartial Careers Education 2010
• CEIAG national policy briefing 16 February 2011

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Below you will find all the handouts that were given at each session.  The powerpoint presentations have been converted into Word documents.

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Added 30 November 2011 from Cegnet - The impact of KS4 vocational courses on disengaged young people's engagement with education 15-18 This research from the DfE found no evidence to suggest that taking vocational courses in Year 10 helps to re-engage young people who are already disengaged from education. Neither did it find any evidence to suggest studying vocational courses makes matters worse. The finding that young people who take at least one vocational course in Year 10 are more likely to achieve Key Stage 4 Level 1 remained, however there was no relationship between subject choice and Level 2 achievement, or young people's destinations at age 17 and 18. For more on this and other conclusions, read the report

Added 31 October 2011 from Cegnet -Teaching about Green Careers Read this Cegnet briefing for teaching ideas about helping students to explore and choose specific green careers. We also look at why students need to be aware of the greening of all careers and what it will mean for them.

PSHE

Exercises to Improve Self-knowledge and Self-esteem 1 from Chalkface Project - free samples available.  Develop your students' abilities to assess and consolidate ideas and opinions about themselves and the world in which they live.

Citizenship

Post-16 Citizenship Support Programme

For all those interested in post-16 citizenship education this site contains high quality resources, relevant news and information and details of support for post-16 citizenship (PDF document, 2Mb) available from the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) Post-16 Citizenship Support Programme, managed by LSN.

ACT (Association for Citizen Teaching) has developed a series of six exciting new learning activities to help support careers learning through Citizenship.

The activities are fully supported by lesson plans, PowerPoints and web links and a full teachers’ introduction and LA advisers’ guide is included.

Citizenship e-news October 2011

Launching the new national network for post-16 citizenship education* Bernadette Joslin, Helen Wiles and Rob Pope are proud to announce the launch of Active Citizens FE, the new national network for everyone in the post-compulsory sector with interests in citizenship education, social action and learner voice. See our website  *for all the news about free membership, benefits and our plans for the new network, including details of our first two events in London and Leeds on the 'Big Society, Citizenship and FE'. We are the only national organisation entirely dedicated to the cause of post-16 citizenship and closely related areas – so find out more about us now and join up. One feature of Active Citizens FE for members will be a regular citizenship e-news bulletin. Welcome to the first edition. Each time we will give a roundup of news and policy for all those interested in citizenship education, social action, learner voice and related areas. In every edition we will also provide a new, free teaching and learning resource. We offer activities for use during the early part of the year on community and learner voice. Two activities focus on the issue of the ‘community’ as presented by the college, training provider or other type of organisation that a learner is now part of and comprise a general activity about what ‘community’ is and why it is important to get involved. This is followed by an activity introducing learner voice. Big Society, Citizenship and FE events.

Apprenticeships

National Apprenticeship Service Resource Pack

This resource pack is for Teachers and Careers and IAG Providers. It has been developed to be used with a range of audiences. Material includes fact sheets, teacher resource sheets and activity sheets. These can be used as appropriate with each audience.

School Teachers

The Resource Pack will support the delivery of an IAG session to a group of learners or on a one to one basis. It will also support the development of knowledge around Apprenticeships and can be used individually or as part of an inset training day for staff.

• The Good Practice Guide to enterprise education
• A new group of films to help teachers give information, advice and guidance

STEM
- NFER report on STEM careers advice 'Patchy' schools' careers provision and a small careers workforce are hindering efforts to significantly raise pupil interest in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) (Oct 2011 cegnet)
- STEM careers module launched. The module has been designed to complement and extend the STEM Choices resource and link this creatively with learning from the existing LMI online learning module at the University of Warwick. (Oct 2011 cegnet).

STEMNET

STEMNET creates opportunities to inspire young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). This enables young people to develop their creativity, problem-solving and employability skills, widens their choices and supports the UK’s future competitiveness. STEMNET helps encourage young people to be well informed about STEM, able to engage fully in debate, and make decisions about STEM related issues.

Go4SET - A new EDT initiative involving students, engineers and companies in exciting projects to stimulate the interest of young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Go4SET links teams of six Year 8/9(England) and S2 (Scotland) pupils with companies and universities to offer a 10 week science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) experience.

Designing a generic career studies module. A practical example developed for the Centre for Career Management Skills by Phil McCash.

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The December newsletter includes 'Good Timing' - implementing a STEM careers strategy

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Below is the Powerpoint presentation outlining the structure of the day and all the slides that were used to introduce each section.  Under that are all the course handouts:

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• 16 January 2102 - the Foundation Years website – an indispensible site to support you as a professional working with children and families in the foundation years. It is a one stop shop for resources, information and the latest news on the foundation years. Developed collaboratively by you, the sector - for the sector. It brings together information from many sources that will help you to support children to develop and flourish
• 9 January 2012 - Positive for Youth: A new approach to cross-government policy for young people aged 13 to 19 was published on 19 December 2011. The statement brings together for the first time all of the Government’s policies for young people aged 13 to 19. It therefore covers a wide range of issues – from education and youth services, to health, crime, housing and more. Nine government departments have been involved in developing it – including the Department for Education, the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Department for Communities and Local Government
• Department of Education

• Building Engagement, Building Futures January 2012

  The Government's five strategic priorities are:
  • Priority 1: Raising educational attainment in school and beyond to ensure that young people have the skills they need to compete in a global economy;
  
  
  • Priority 2: Helping local partners to provide effective and coordinated services that support all young people, including the most vulnerable, putting us on track to achieve full participation for 16-17 year olds by 2015;
  
  
  • Priority 3: Encouraging and incentivising employers to inspire and recruit young people by offering more high quality Apprenticeships and work experience places;
  
  
  • Priority 4: Ensuring that work pays and giving young people the personalised support they need to find it, through Universal Credit, the Work Programme and our Get Britain Working measures; and
  
  
  • Priority 5: Putting in place a new Youth Contract worth almost £1 billion over the next three years to help get young people learning or earning before long term damage is done. The package includes:
    
    
    • subsidised six-month work placements for 18-24 year olds, to encourage employers to take on unemployed young people;
    • additional careers advice through JobCentre Plus, and an improved careers information portal from April 2012;
    • incentive payments for small firms to take on young apprentices;
    • support to help young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) return to education or training.

  For more information about the strategy, click here to visit the DfE website.

• Ofsted - new look website
• Education Bill 2010-11 - A Bill to make provision about education, childcare, apprenticeships and training.  The section on Careers Education in schools in England.  Careers education and guidance in the melting pot Written By: Anthony Barnes.  Follow the progress of the Education Bill, and access key documents (including FAQs) on the Department for Education website
• Report to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister from the Advocate for Access to Education ‘The Hughes Report’ July 2011 
• Careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) in schools in England - May 2011
• Informing choice in post-16 education and learning 4 Nov 2011 BIS research paper no. 49. Report of a study commissioned by BIS to determine the type of information that would most effectively support learners, employers and advice and guidance intermediaries in making choices about post-16 provision. This included all government funded post-16 education and training, but not higher education provision. In the executive summary points 39-42 relate to how YPs access information
• Progression post-16 for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities 23 Aug 2011 Ofsted Ref: 100232 This survey evaluates the arrangements for transition from school and the provision in post-16 settings for learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities up to the age of 25. Through visits to 32 providers and the completion of 111 detailed case studies, inspectors assessed the effectiveness of provision in enabling learners to develop greater independence, and progress to further learning or open or supported employment
• Choosing to volunteer -  05 Dec 2011 Ofsted Ref: 110119 This survey evaluates volunteering programmes located within a sample of schools, colleges, and youth and community settings. It reports on the experiences of the young people, particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, who participate in volunteering programmes. Inspectors collected evidence through visits to six secondary schools, seven colleges and six youth and community organisations. The survey was supported by evidence from online panels of 328 young people
• 30 November - The influence of parents, places and poverty on educational attitudes and aspirations This report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation aims to better understand the relationship between young people's aspirations and how they are formed.
• 14-19 Reform - Next Steps
• DCFS 14-19 Reform Fuelling Potential A blueprint for skills accounts and the adult advancement and careers service
• The Children, Schools and Families Bill
• The vulnerability of babies - an article
• Government Departmental Business Plans What are they? The Coalition Government has published business plans that set out in detail the work of government for the next four years. The business plans don't contain targets. Instead they have timelines and milestones. What are the implications for young people and the youth sector? This link takes you to the NYA report which outlines what the business plans say
• Poorer children’s educational attainment: how important are attitudes and behaviour?
• The Young People's Learning Agency
• The Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS)
• The Connexions Direct website has now become part of Directgov Young People. All relevant content for young people can now be found on the Directgov website and this includes how to contact a Connexions Direct Adviser
• The Children's Legal Centre providing IA and representation for children and YPs
• The National Youth Homelessness organisation
• Cegnet is the website for professionals working in careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and their supporters.  There are pages of links/thumbnails to teaching and learning, careers IAG, leading and managing, professional development and projects and initiatives
  Dates for the Year Ahead What are the key dates to look out for in the year ahead? Here is the cegnet guide to the 2011-12 careers calendar!
• Video - The World is Changing
• Careersbox TV
• Bill Law's career learning cafe -
• Smaart Advice - the National website and newspaper for careers professionals
• Over 700 job profiles on Next Step
• Action for jobs: How to get the UK working - CBI seeks to boost youth employment November 2011
• Retail Work Critical Perspectives on Work and Employment. Edited by Irena Grugulis and ÖdÜl Bozkurt (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011 - £29.00)). A new work edited by Professor Irena Grugulis (Durham University) and Dr. ÖdÜl Bozkurt (Lancaster University) includes a series of essays from researchers including Professor Prue Huddleston (University of Warwick) which examine the role of retail work in modern industrial economies. Grugulis and Bozkurt's introductory chapter highlights the lack of academic research on retail work and sets out a series of arguments as to why this labour sector warrants an in depth examination. The chapters within this work are arranged thematically and address issues such as - the nature of retail work and the shop floor; labour practices across the supply chain and the larger productive system; key skills used in retailing; and workers as a collective cohort
• 13 December - Skills for Care & Development December newsletter. SfC&D is the sector skills council for people working in early years, children and young people’s services, and those working in social work and social care for adults and children in the UK. SfC&D is a partnership of 6 organisations: Care Council for Wales, CWDC (England), GSCC (England), NISCC (Northern Ireland), SSSC (Scotland) and Skills for Care (England)
• Welcome to Share Street. If you work with children or young people and their families, Share Street is for you. It’s a community for sharing resources and discussing best practice in the workplace, for building networks and communicating with colleagues
• The Young Foundation brings together insights, innovation and entrepreneurship to meet social needs. We have a track record of over 50 years' success with ventures such as the Open University, Which?, the School for Social Entrepreneurs and Healthline (the precursor of NHS Direct)
• Care to Learn Application Resource Pack
• Foundation Learning funding - frequently asked questions including information on E2E
• Prospects Education Resources for all those institutions involved in the delivery of IAG PSHE education including special needs resources
• The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has set up a section of their website called - The Big Society - the evidence base.  This includes a link to the cabinet office document Building the Big Society
• The National Youth Agency was asked to find out what young people think about the information, advice and guidance (IAG) they receive on careers, educational choices and other life issues To find out, they held a series of focus groups with 79 young people between the ages of 13 and 21 in London and the South West of England; in schools, alternative education settings and youth groups.Face-to-face What young people think about information, advice and guidance
• Rural Advocate report 2010.  Commission for Rural Communities - tackling rural disadvantage  - 6 pages of basic information about the issues facing rural communities and includes highlighting Thirsk Clock
• Rural Services Network and SPARSE Rural organisation has recently re-launched its RSN Online website. In its new form it contains a wealth of additional valuable information
• Young people's aspirations in rural areas  Research report, August 2011 Youth unemployment is a serious issue. The recent economic downturn and subsequent substantial reduction in public spending has had a negative impact on young people in the labour market. In rural areas, young people face distinct issues that can have a negative impact on their employment. Youth unemployment in rural areas is often believed to be caused by the low aspirations of young people themselves, their families and local communities. These are also linked to low educational achievements and post-16 participation rates in education. Low aspirations among young people and the wider community may be one of the key factors underlying this higher than average proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The LG Group commissioned NFER to research young people’s aspirations in three rural local authorities (LAs): Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Cumbria. The aim was to explore the influence and impact of low aspirations. This report presents the findings from this research, which comprised a rapid review of literature and case-study visits to the three areas. Only a minority of the young people studied appeared to have aspirations lower than expected given their predicted attainment at GCSE. This includes some pupils who have decided not to move away and wanted to pursue careers in their local, rural economy. Significant influences on young people’s aspirations include: the cost and availability of transport to access post-16 education, training and employment; parents, positive role models, availability of employment opportunities and school-business links, and the pupils’ own attitudes towards risk. There were more similarities than differences between the three areas studied. However differences within the areas affecting employment opportunities were also said to affect aspiration. These include proximity to frequent public transport, coastal areas, tourist centres, and large employers.
• Participation Works has published Children and Young People's Involvement in Formal Meetings: A practical guide, which explores ways in which children and young people can make a real and lasting contribution to a wide range of formal decision-making meetings
• Michael Gove's letter to schools and LAs to outline the outcomes of the comprehensive spending review.
• The write stuff - NYCC's  basic guide to writing plain English
• Readability Document; How to produce clear written materials fora range of readers
• Getting more from Google - a presentation given at the national Career Guidance North Show  - useful tips for making more effective use of Google
• New advice from NAHT on the use and abuse of social networking sites

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• 23 January 2012 - ICG Schools Survey

  This year schools in England will take on new responsibilities for career guidance. The Education Act which comes into force in September 2012 confers a duty on schools to secure access to career guidance, which must be independent and impartial. The overall approach is to free up schools to provide whatever career guidance they feel is in pupils' best interests. But all this has to be met out of existing budgets as no additional funding will be made available to schools.

  The ICG wanted to find out how schools were planning to respond to these changes so we conducted a survey in the autumn of 2011. A full overview of the survey will shortly be available on the ICG website. In the meantime the major findings are outlined here. Thesurvey is based on responses from 222 schools representing a balanced sample of maintained schools, academies, special schools and independent schools. An overwhelming number of schools said that career guidance was vital with a resounding endorsement for face-to-face guidance.

• 30 November STEM Careers Seminar 28 September 2011, National STEM Centre, University of York -This seminar took place following the STEM Careers Review, published in November 2010.1 The seminar aimed to produce a series of recommendations, targeted at agencies responsible for taking forward and implementing the Government?s emergent careers education strategy. Some 27 expert participants were invited to consider specific questions around the following themes: 1. Better use of labour market information (LMI) by young people to make informed career choices 2. How changes in Government policy will affect careers education, information, advice and guidance in schools 3. The implications of Government policy on the professional expectations and training needs for careers professionals and secondary teachers 4. How can employers support quality improvement in the careers profession? The seminar
• Which Way Now 2010 - 2011.  The 2011-2012 updated version is now available to purchase
• It's Your Choice 2010 - 2011. The 2011-2012 updated version is now available to purchase
• Ways and Choices - The Ways & Choices suite of 20 careers lessons for Key Stages 3 and 4 and post 16 has been fully revised by Babcock Lifeskills (October 2011). The new CD-ROM takes into account all the changes to 14-19 education since last year. The original titles are still there but all the content has been updated.
• The World is Changing video
• The UK Commission for Employment and Skills
• Careers Information from NCVYS - working and volunteering with young people this page includes How to find a volunteer placement working with young people, Careers Guide (Second edition, March 2010): An introduction to working and volunteering in the voluntary and community youth sector, Career Information Sheets - seven occupations covered including a youth worker, Careers Advice Service - for careers advice and training course information, more information about working in the voluntary and charity sector - NCVO, working for a Charity Looking for an apprenticeship? Search and apply for vacancies at the National Apprenticeship Service
• Princes Trust - Need help in Yorkshire and Humberside? They run programmes to help young people who are working less than 16 hours a week, and who want to get their lives working.
• Social mobility of young people and adults in England: The contents of the paper build upon an earlier analysis of social mobility policy1 and upon key themes emerging from recent interviews with six leading figures from within industry and education. Also, a review of research literature on the impact of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) provides a strong evidence-base to help influence and inform the design and implementation of a progressive strategy for a new all-age careers service framework in England. From a combination of these sources, a compelling argument is made for timely, relevant and cost effective public, private and voluntary/community careers service delivery arrangements throughout England
• Free Downloads from Developing the IAG Workforce All the documents are in word format unless otherwise stated. 14-19 Diplomas - Diploma Quizzes - Progression Maps - Progression Maps- Sources of Information Sheets - LMI Summaries- Audits, Checklists and Templates- Development Tools - Lesson Plans and Support Materials - Training Materials
• The National Guidance Research Forum - Purpose:To bring together research and practice in guidance to increase effectiveness. Objectives:To create and support an on-line community of interest for guidance; To bring practice, research and policy closer together; To focus on the core problems of guidance practice. You can register free and there are resources on Making guidance More effective and LMI including the LMI learning modules
• 2011 edition of What Do Graduates Do? (WDGD)  

  Graduate unemployment drops for first time since the start of the recession. For most UK graduates employment is steadily increasing, unemployment is slowly decreasing and those in graduate level jobs has reached a record high, according to research published this week by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU).

  HECSU's annual, What Do Graduates Do? reports the destinations of full and part-time first degree graduates, six months after leaving university in 2010:284,160 students graduated in 2010 with a first degree - a 3.6% increase on last year 69.7% (163,090 graduates) were in employment - a 7.9% increase on 2009 graduates Unemployment has gone down from 8.9% to 8.5% (19,785 graduates) Record number (100,265 or 63.4%) secured graduate level jobs - a 9.2% increase
  
  The figures show recovery in business and financial services with 7.5% of graduates working in these occupations, the same as that recorded in 2008. Marketing, sales and advertising was the occupational group that saw the largest percentage jump in graduates in 2010. 31% more graduates entered these roles in 2010 compared to the previous year, fuelled by an upturn in graduate recruitment in advertising and digital media.
  
  After reporting poor employment prospects for architecture and building management graduates in the 2009 and 2010 editions of What Do Graduates Do?, the 2011 edition reports an improvement with 73.2% in employment and a decrease in unemployment - from 10.9% in 2010 to 9.5%. (More architecture and building management graduates found work this year as quantity surveyors, building surveyors, architectural technicians and assistants and town planners - a good reason to attend the Insight into Built Environment conference.)  There is also a table which was published in May 2010 called What do graduates do? 2011
• Employers' perceptions of the employability skills of new graduates (2011). A new report by Kevin Lowden, Stuart Hall, Dr Dely Elliot and Jon Lewin commissioned by the Edge Foundation explores the perceptions of employers' and higher education institution (HEI) staff, within the context of the skills and knowledge which facilitate the employability of undergraduates and new graduates. The report draws upon information from literature reviews, interviews with employers and HEI representatives, and nine qualitative employer case studies. Findings from the study indicate that employers, students, graduates and HEI representatives value work-based learning (such as placements and internships) as particularly effective approaches to promote the employability of graduates.
• Using Careersbox - take a look at how teachers and students are using Careersbox in class with these new videos: - How to use Careersbox - Teachers using Careersbox - Students using Careersbox. To contact Careersbox call 01223 240099 or e-mail on info@careersbox.co.uk  
• Careers Work Innovation Where you can find leading-edge ideas for careers work - including information-advice-and-guidance (iag), careers education (ce), career counselling, mentoring, coaching, personal-and-social development, learning for well-being, for a changing world, portfolio development and individual action-planning
• Enhancing choice? The role of technology in the career support market. A report prepared for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills December 2010
• Avoiding a lost generation - Preparing young people for work now and in the future Recommendations of the REC UK Youth Employment Taskforce
• Seminars from the National Career Guidance Show North 17 February 2011
  1 - A Blueprint for life and career management for England presented by Jackie Sadler, LSIS
  2 - Getting more from Google presented by Michael Larbalestier, Prospects
  3 - The Careers Profession Taskforce aims to re-professionalise career practice. Is it too late? presented by Siobhan Neary, iCeGs
  4 - STEM subjects and careers presented by Dr Taj Bhutta, Institute of Physics
  5 - Career Coaching: stimulating a new direction or guidance in a suit? presented by Julia Yates, University of East London
  6 - HE to CV – making sense of the choices and maximising your client’s chances of a graduate job presented by Anne-Marie Martin, President, AGCAS
  7 - Apprenticeships – the career choice that is overlooked by too many young people presented by Mick Pilling, Remit Ltd.

• One million opportunities to 'Have a Go'
  28 February 2011
  Skills Minister John Hayes today gave his backing to a campaign to create a million opportunities for people across the UK to learn new skills in 2011.

• April 2011 - Directions - free online careers guide

• The Directions online careers guide provides specialist information on careers in finance, accountancy and financial services. The Directions team works closely with employers to provide the most accurate and relevant information to individuals wanting to enter or progress their career in the sectors. Use our new look interactive online High Street profiling over 75 jobs.

  Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for advice and guidance professionals Directions offers support to careers professionals to help you develop your own granular understanding and knowledge about careers in the sector. For more information visit our services for advice and guidance professionals.

  Careers events - We take finance, accountancy and financial services directly to students by delivering careers events. For more information visit our events section on Directions.

  Directions e-bulletin The Directions e-bulletin provides monthly updates on developments in education and training, access to the latest news, research and labour market information as well as revised Directions careers information, along with details of professional development events for education professionals. Register now

• Girls' career aspirations - Date: 12 Apr 2011 HMI: 090239 Publisher: Ofsted Summary - This report evaluates the extent to which careers education, guidance and other provision raise aspirations and inform the choices of courses and careers by girls and young women to support their long-term achievement. It identifies weaknesses and examples of good practice in these areas.

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This replaces Futures4Me and it is an area wide prospectus.  It is just being used in North Yorkshire as a directory of providers for post 16 learning opportunities; it will not be possible for young people to apply through UCAS Progress - CAP is not operating in North Yorkshire (Ryedale have an arrangement with York),  young people will have to access the provider site and apply individually to each provider.

Here is some information for providers about administration.

You will find the information for young people on the Local Courses Available page and in the Your Local Area section.  Both sections have the same information.

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Higher education

• Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)
• Patterns of higher education institutions in the UK: 10th report
• UCAS information for staff who are supporting young people to apply to university.
• These hand-outs may be helpfulwhen offering information, advice and guidance to anyone considering Higher Education from Higher York
• High Level Skills in Yorkshire and Humber: Understanding the Drivers of Change - Yorkshire Futures e-insight September 2010 - the link take you to the e-insight page, scroll down to the September issue
• UCAS - Final end of year statistics for 2010
• The UCAS application statistics at 21 February 2011  released June 2011
• The Participation Rates in Higher Education statistics
• The Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK 2009/10 are published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency 
• Higher Education: students at the heart of the system URN: 11/944 Publication date: 28 June 2011 Command paper 8122. Sets out the Government's proposed reforms of the higher education sector to support funding reforms. Also seeks feedback on the overall strategy set out in this white paper to tackle three challenges. It aims to put higher education on a sustainable footing and for institutions to deliver a better student experience, and take more responsibility for increasing social mobility. Closing date for feedback is 20 September 2011.  See also related consultation on potential early repayment mechanisms for student loans (URN 11/1047).   

Apprenticeships/Vocational qualifications

• 30 November - Returns to intermediate and low level vocational qualifications This report assesses the impact of vocational qualifications on earnings and the probability of being employed. It concludes that there are positive employment and earnings returns from the vast majority of vocational qualifications gained in adulthood
• 16 November - Government announcement with measures designed to increase the number of apprenticeships:
  Business Secretary Vince Cable has announced new measures to ensure more young people benefit from an Apprenticeship, and to help employers gain the skilled workers they need to grow. The following measures to further strengthen the UK’s world class Apprenticeships programme were announced today:
   - To encourage thousands of small firms that don’t currently hire apprentices to take on a young apprentice aged 16 to 24, the Government will offer employers with up to 50 employees an incentive payment of up to £1,500. This will support up to 20,000 new Apprenticeships in 2012/13. An initial payment will be made two months after the individual has started their Apprenticeship; the balance will be paid after the Apprenticeship has been completed and the trainee has progressed into sustainable employment
  - Processes will be simplified to make it quicker and easier for employers to take on an apprentice. The National Apprenticeships Service and training providers will be required to ensure that every employer is in a position to advertise a vacancy within one month of deciding to take on an apprentice. Health and safety requirements will be streamlined so that there are no additional demands on employers that already meet national standards
  - There will be a renewed focus on targeting the programme where Apprenticeships deliver greatest value - including on younger adults, new employees, higher level qualifications and particular sectors where they can make the greatest impact
  - Apprenticeship providers will be required to offer training in English and Maths up to the standard of a good GCSE (level 2) for all Apprenticeships.
• 9 November 2011 - Vocational qualifications: quarterly newsletter from BIS. November 2011. Final edition of the newsletter detailing the progress made on ensuring the vocational qualifications system meets the skills needs of employers and learners. Provides an update on progress and on resources and events to help people involved to be ready to benefit from the changes 
• 10 Oct 2011 Options study for the long-term evaluation of apprenticeships  BIS research paper no. 56. Report of a study assessing how to track young people and adults into apprenticeships, through training and into employment, to gauge the extent that their future earnings and employment status were influenced by completing an apprenticeship. Also covered other outcomes including progression to further learning, job satisfaction, acquisition of skills and mobility between jobs. It aimed to produce robust quantified estimates of the outcomes of Apprenticeships for successful trainees, and establish under what conditions Apprenticeships produce the best results
• 4 October 2011 - details of a new training provider, GTEC Training,  based in Hawes.  Framework - Electrotechnical - plan to deliver 24 apprenticeships within 40 mile radius
• 3 October 2011 - Intermediate and Low Level Vocational Qualifications - adding to the existing evidence base Summary
  This study was commissioned in 2010 to update our previous estimates of the returns to education and training, and to provide a baseline for the ongoing consistent analysis of the returns to vocational qualifications. It adds to the weight of evidence showing positive employment and earnings returns for the vast majority of qualifications gained in adulthood, and contains some interesting findings around the circumstances in which more positive returns may occur. Important findings include:
  - Vocational qualifications - impact on earnings and employment ? In line with previous studies there continues to be large and significant wage gain for most vocational qualifications
  - There is an average 20% wage gain from possessing a BTEC level 3, 16% for RSA level 3, and 10% for NVQ level 3, compared to similar individuals qualified to level 2
  - The wage gain is lower for Level 2, 12% for BTEC, 16% for RSA, and 1% for NVQ Level 2, compared to similar individuals with qualifications below level 2
  - In line with previous research, there are strong positive returns to apprenticeships, 22% for a Level 3 apprenticeship and 12% for an apprenticeship at Level 2
  - All vocational qualifications are associated with increased likelihood of being in employment. Those with an NVQ at Level 3 are 15 percentage points more likely to be in employment and for Level 2 the figure is 13 percentage points, compared to those with lower qualification levels
  - The lifetime benefits associated with the acquisition of Apprenticeships at Level 2 and 3 are very significant, standing at between £48,000 and £74,000 for Level 2 and between £77,000 and £117,000 for Level 3 Apprenticeships.
• National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) - Statement on the Quality of Apprenticeship Delivery Models – August 2011 - making sure apprenticeships are more robust and stating the minimum hours as 30
• A briefing sheet from NAS giving all the latest information relating to apprenticeships
• Vocational qualifications: quarterly newsletter from BIS. July 2011
  Publication date: 25 Jul 2011
  Newsletter on work in progress to make sure the vocational qualifications system meets the skills needs of employers and learners. Provides an update on progress and on resources and events to help people involved to be ready to benefit from the changes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• The National Apprenticeship Service- Apprenticeship Teaching Resources Pack
• Open Doors - your Regional Training Prospectus. This is specially for Yorkshire and Humber and there is a link to the magazine
• Consortium for Learning Apprenticeship handbook - 2011 2012.  This now includes information about apprenticeships in North Yorkshire.  This document gives the rationale (added 23 November 2011)
• FAQ - ConstructionSkills' Construction Apprenticeships plus the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force (CCATF) e-newsletter October 2011
• Apprenticeships e-Newsletter- November 2011 
• LLUK have just released the Career Development National Occupational Standards (March 2011)
• Career Development National Occupational Standards Introduction
• Career Development National Occupational Standards Full suite

General

• Building Engagement, Building Futures. Increasing the participation of 16-24 year olds in learning and employment not only makes a lasting difference to their individual lives, but is central to our ambitions to improve social mobility and stimulate economic growth. In Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers, we committed to publish a new cross-government strategy to maximise the participation of 16-24 year olds in education, training and work. Building Engagement, Building Futures sets out how our radical reforms to schools, vocational education, skills and welfare provision will all make a significant difference to young people’s opportunities and support. The Government recognises that in some areas we need to go further, in particular to help the most vulnerable young people at risk of long-term disengagement. The strategy sets out our new commitments to additional support through more Apprenticeships for young people and through our new Youth Contract. Our existing reforms and this additional support will help to ensure that all young people can develop the skills, qualifications and experience they need – to succeed in their careers and make a positive contribution to our society and economy.
• New challenges, new chances. Further education and skills system reform plan: building a world class skills system URN: 11/1380 Publication date: 1 Dec 2011 Government response to consultation 'New challenges, new chances' (URN 11/1213). Sets out what the Government will financially support and the programme of work required to take forward the reform of FE and skills system for adults aged 19 and over in England. Aims to promote high-quality teaching and learning across the adult education system, to free colleges and other skills providers to allow them to respond more effectively to the needs of their communities, and to secure a fairer balance of investment. See also the skills investment statement (11/1374) and the summary of responses to the consultation (11/1384)
• Qualifications can cross boundaries QAA have revised and updated their leaflet: Qualifications can cross boundaries. This guidance is designed to help compare education frameworks across the four countries of the UK, plus Ireland. As well as updates to the individual frameworks, the guidance now includes information on how UK qualifications frameworks relate to the European Frameworks - 20 September 2011. In line with this table the information sheet - Busting the myths about higher education has been revised - this is on the  'Information and Advice on the Qualifications and Pathways' page in the introduction - it is designed for young people to use
• A simplified diagram of progression routes from the National Apprenticeship Service website
• Against the odds Re-engaging young people in education, employment or training - statistics, analysis, recommendations
• Vocational qualifications on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF)are new, work-related qualifications. They are designed to allowpeople to learn in a way that suitsthem and give them the skills that employers are looking for. There are already over 5,000 of these new vocational qualifications on the QCF, available in a wide range of subjects. More are being added all the time
• The Qualifications and Credit Framework: an introduction for information, advice and guidance practitioners. This leaflet tells you all about the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and gives you the information you need to advise people on how the new system works and how it can benefit them. Note that the QCF is part of the National Qualifications Framework as is the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications; here you will seea table to show this
• The Government's strategy for skills and reform of the further education and skills system - The strategy sets out the Government's vision for reform of the further education and skills system in order to improve the skills of the workforce, the performance of the economy and engagement in learning
• Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth. This document sets out the Government's investment strategy for further education and skills from 2011-12. Explains how funding will be prioritised for young people and those with low skills. Also initiates further consultation on Government backed fee loans and further arrangements for student/learner support. Responses due by 31 March 2011
• Skills for sustainable growth: summary of responses to a consultation on the future direction of skills strategy - A simplified further education and skills funding system and methodology: summary of responses to the consultation on how the further education and skills system can be made simpler and more effective . Also provides the Government's responses to the issues raised
• The September Guarantee - up-to-date information and links from DfE (Nov 2010)
• Employer perspectives on part-time students in UK higher education. This BIS research paper no. 27 draws on recent surveys of part-time students and their employers in the UK in order to investigate the extent and nature of employer support for part-time higher education study. It looks at the perceived advantages and disadvantages of this kind of study for the organisation concerned
• Post-16 subject guidance for aspiring university students published by Russell Group, with ICG input.  The Russell Group of 20 leading UK universities has published its first ever guide to post-16 subject choices. Informed Choices, produced in collaboration with the Institute of Career Guidance, is aimed at all students considering A-level and equivalent options. It includes advice on the best subject combinations for a wide range of university courses as well as advice on the best choices if you don't know what you want to study after school and need to keep your options open
• The UK’s green & renewable industries prospects for sustained growth were boosted today (7 February) as Skills Minister John Hayes announced a new National Skills Academy (NSA) for Environmental Technologies. The Skills Academy will receive up to £2.5m of funding over three years, matched by employers. It will work with industry and training providers to ensure that employers in new areas of business such as the installation, maintenance and repair of photovoltaic panels, ground source heat pumps and biomass products have a highly skilled workforce to help them grow, and to support the Government’s ambitions for renewable energy and low carbon growth. In its first 5 years, the National Skills Academy aims to deliver around 2000 publicly-funded and over 200,000 privately funded training courses. It will develop a network of 14 specialist training provider ‘hubs’, based in Further Education Colleges, with over 80 accredited training providers throughout England
• National Learner Satisfaction Survey (NLSS) This report presents the key findings for the NLSS 2009, which was conducted by Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute. The project was commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which has now been superseded by the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People’s Learning Agency YPLA). The research function of the LSC has transferred to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The NLSS is a large tracking survey of then LSC-funded learners aged 16 and over. The NLSS provides a wealth of data on learners’ satisfaction with their learning experience over time, including detailed information on three key aspects of the learner journey: initial choice and information; support during learning; and benefits of participation. There have been six national surveys since 2001 (annually between 2001 and 2004, 2007 and 2009). The 2009 survey comprises telephone interviews with around 25,000 learners
• Review of Vocational Education - The Wolf Report - In England, today, around two and a half million young people are aged 14 to 19. The vast majority are engaged full or part time in education, and they are growing up in a world where long periods of study and formal credentials are the norm. Vocational education is an important part of that world. Most English young people now take some vocational courses before they are 16; and post-16 the majority follow courses which are largely or entirely vocational
•  National minimum wage: Government evidence to the Low Pay Commission 2011 - 15 Sep 2011. This document sets out the Government's economic and non-economic evidence on national minimum wage policy issues. It covers the rates (from 1 October 2011 the NMW is £3.68 - 16 and 17 year olds, £4.98 - 18 to 20 year olds and £6.08 for those over 21), the youth labour market - Pages 41 - 60 including raising the participation age (p53) , useful statistics, definitions and trends, compliance, enforcement and awareness.    The document  Supporting Youth Employment lays out the £60m commitment to get more vulnerable young people into work, a boost to Apprenticeships and radical reforms to transform vocational education are part of a series of measures outlined by the Government to prioritise youth employment, and tackle some of the long term structural barriers that stop some young people from getting a job and starting their career
• BIS RESEARCH PAPER NUMBER 42. Access to Work-Related Training JUNE 2011 - this includes a very useful glossary of terms
• The vision for Further Education - 15 June 2011
• Widening participation in higher education: analysis of progression rates for young people in England by free school meal receipt and school type  -  10 Aug 2011 Provides information on the estimated number of 15 year olds in receipt of free school meals (FSM) who progress to higher education (HE) by age 19 by 2008/09. It is presented at national and local authority level. Also provides data on the number of young people taking A levels or equivalent qualifications who progress to the most selective institutions by school type. These measures aim to contribute to the understanding of widening participation and social mobility issues. Replaces 'Full-time young participation by socio-economic class: 2010 update'
• Rescue Pack for Level 3 students and their supporters
  This Rescue Pack is for careers advisers, parents and students receiving their A-Level and other Level 3 results this Summer. Inside you'll find details of the options available after results day, employability skills and help and advice to find a job. From the Institute of Business and Management.

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Information about Care to Learn can be found on the website

• Changes to Care to Learn
  The Department for Education (DfE) will continue to provide childcare support to all parents in England who are under 20 when they start a course in 2011/12. Care to Learn will continue beyond this academic year, with DfE working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to consider how best to support older parents (including those aged 19, whose learning would be funded by BIS) to continue their education.
• Guidance 2011/12
  Guidance for providers on the Care to Learn scheme for the 2011/12 academic year is available to download from the Care to Learn website. This document outlines the eligibility criteria for the student, their course or learning programme and the childcare provision, as well as the application process. To complement the Care to Learn Guidance, we have also published Care to Learn Audit Requirements 2011/12, which explain what providers are required to do for audit purposes for the Care to Learn scheme in 2011/12. This document is also available to download from the Care to Learn website.
• Application packs 2011/12
  As you will be aware, you can order a supply of Care to Learn 2011/12 application packs from YPLA Publications by calling 0845 602 2260 and quoting the reference number YPLA-G-002/2011.
  Young parents can request an application pack from the directgov website; alternatively, they can call the Learner Support helpline on 0800 121 8989.
• Summer Retainer Forms 2011
  Students who will be continuing their course in the 2011/12 academic year, and who require support from Care to Learn to retain a childcare place with their existing Childcare Provider over the summer 2011 period will need to complete a Summer Retainer form.
  If a student will turn 20 before the start of their course in the 2011/12 academic year, they will only be eligible to continue to receive support from Care to Learn if they are continuing on the same course at the same level. Students who turn 20 who will be starting a new course will not be eligible and should seek alternative support for childcare costs.
  
  Students who have received Care to Learn in the 2010/11 academic year and who will be under 20 at the start of the 2011/12 academic year have been sent an application pack for 2011/12 and a 2011 Summer Retainer form. Students who have not received a pack or have lost their pack, but who will be continuing on their course in the 2011/12 academic year, can request a form from the Learner Support Service by calling 0800 121 8989.
  
  Students should apply for a Summer Retainer before the start of the summer holiday period - any Summer Retainer forms received after 1 September 2011 will not be paid.

Further information on Care to Learn is available from the YPLA website or you can call the Learner Support Service on 0845 600 7979.

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1 - January issue - Stakeholder and Partner bulletin which gives  information about the academic year 2012/13, an update on the successful delivery of the Student Finance England service for 2011/12 and information on the stakeholder working groups..

2 - (Added 12 December) New practitioner website - Our brand new practitioner website was launched at the start of December, which can now be found within the "Stakeholders and Partners" section of the revamped suite of web pages or via the direct link. The new practitioner website is designed to be easier to use, and offer clearer information with a more contemporary feel. It also includes some recent additions to our range of 2012/13 resources: four new fact sheets covering Initial Teacher Training, Funding for Study Abroad, Independent Student Status and Care Leavers, as well as the updated IAG Quality Standards lesson plan and presentations. Please visit the resources section to access these.

3 - "Financing Your Future" Leaflet - We are now taking orders for paper copies of the "Financing Your Future" key dates checklist which you may have seen at our regional IAG events in September and October. This leaflet provides an overview of student finance for anyone starting Higher Education in 2012/13. To place an order for your free copies, please use this order form.

4 - Launch of 2012/13 Application Service  - You should be receiving information from our corporate communication team soon about the arrangements for the launch of applications for the 2012/13 academic year.

5 - Student Finance Hub  - A reminder that there is a dedicated Student Finance England ‘hub' on the Student Room website as part of Student Finance Day (14 November).This section of the Student Room website gives users the latest news, advice and tools for all students, including those considering going to university in 2012/13. This is on GCN in the finance section.

6 - Student Finance England Surgeries  - We are running Student Finance England ‘surgeries' on our social media channels Facebook and Twitter, where we answer queries from prospective and current students and their parents. Post your questions and comments on their Facebook thread or tweet them your questions at @SF_England.

7 - Staff training - During the Autumn term, I have been invited by a large number of schools, colleges, universities, careers advice services and other organisations across the Region to deliver training sessions on student finance to their staff. Sessions are already being booked for the New Year and I shall be in touch with you if your organisation has not already attended or booked to attend a local session. It is my aim to ensure that you and your colleagues have all the information you need to help your students, so please let me know if there is anything I can do to support you in this.

8 - Parent and student talks - If you are planning to arrange a session on student finance for prospective students and/or their parents and would like some support, please contact me (ian_sinkinson@slc.co.uk). I can advise you on the wide range of resources we have available, put you in contact with speakers from other organisations, or if the event is sufficiently large, attend in person - there is no charge for this.

9 - October 2011 update. If you have already attended one of the Regional IAG Partner Seminars, you will know all about the range of online resources we have made available to help our partners explain the changes to the student support package from September 2012. For 2012/13 we have included the popular quick start guide and bespoke Power Point presentations, but have added a range of new resources, including a video and fact sheets aimed particularly at parents. There are also the presentations from the IAG Partner Seminars. Visit our Practitioners' website now to look at what's available.  These resources will be added to over the coming weeks as we approach the launch of the application process for 2012/13. We will be in touch again about the launch nearer the time.  

16 - 19 Bursary fund

1 - YPLA 16-19 Bursary Fund Guide for 2011-12. This guide covers the new 16-19 Bursary Fund (which replaces EMA), which is designed to help support those young people who face the greatest barriers to continuing in education or training post-16. It provides information to schools, colleges, academies, training providers and local authorities (providers) on the operation of the new fund, which is worth £180m a year. It takes account of the representations made during the consultation on the new arrangements, which ran from 28 March to 20 May 2011.

2 - Weekly £30 Training Payments are back! This should be a real incentive and applies to the Northallerton area - YMCA are going to be working alongside Igen Careers guidance and supporting young people with a drop in on Fridays at Insite to assist with employability skills.

EMA payments finished in January but YMCA Training are offering learners on their Foundation Learning Scheme Induction £30 a week! We still pay transport costs, childcare costs and there is a taxi provided for learners in Richmond/Catterick areas. Induction will last 4-6 weeks- it is hoped by this time, in September, learners will then be able to access the new discretionary funding.

• YMCA Training's Foundation Learning programme offers flexible training to young people in the local area to increase skills and progress them into further education, apprenticeships and employment
• Roll on-roll off programme, learners can start when they are ready
• Flexible learning package means learners can take a small course (6-10 weeks) concentrating on one or two qualifications and build on their achievements, most learners will stay for around 6 months
• Qualifications in Functional Maths, English, ICT available from Entry to Level 2. City and Guilds Employability and Personal Development and NOCN Step-Up Vocational qualifications also delivered along with Health and Safety and First Aid quals.
• Qualifications tailored to the individual and learning plans drawn up around their aspirations
• Learning delivered from our Northallerton centre and transport provided or travel costs paid.
• 3 day ‘in centre' programme which can also expand to include work placements and work trials
• Small, welcoming and friendly centre with positive and experienced staff.
• Training tailored to get the leaner to where they want to be in life
• Supportive and caring environment where learners access assistance with issues and worries.

Applicants must be over 16 and under 19, not at school/college and not working more than 10 hours a week. Applicants can even be on Jobseekers allowance. However old, learners must be able to prove nationality with passport, driving license, national insurance number or birth certificate.

Applicants can self refer, or agencies can complete a referral form. Applicants will be invited to the centre and have a discussion about how FL can benefit them prior to starting.

Contact Nikki and all the staff at YMCA Training Northallerton
East House, Elder Road, Northallerton, DL6 1NU
01609 776224/ 01069 774427 or 07920725338

See this Foundation Learning flyer.

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• Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre
• NYCC Assessment and safeguarding services
• CEOP's Thinkuknow (TUK) Teachers and Trainers area. Here you’ll find CEOP's Thinkuknow resources for teachers and all other professionals working with young people. There are films, presentations, games, lesson plans and posters covering a range of issues from grooming by child sex offenders to cyberbullying. All of these resources encourage young people to have fun with new technology, whilst staying in control of the risks. Importantly, they also teach young people where to go if they have any concerns. CEOP has launched a new resource; ‘Exposed’, is a 10 minute drama designed to tackle the issue of young people taking indecent images which are then circulated to a wider audience, most commonly known as ‘Sexting’. Click here to find out more about this area and to access the film
• North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children's Board
• North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board Briefing Note – June 2011
• LSCB Standards and Criteria - November 2011 Based on the North Yorkshire LSCB Child Protection Procedures, these multi-agency standards and criteria are relevant to all involved in quality assurance. It is hoped that they are also of use to practitioners in supporting practice. Please note that these standards and criteria will be renewed later in 2012 with the implementation of the Munro recommendations - specifically the publication of the revised Working Together and Assessment Framework.

- NYSCB News October 2011

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Guidance for practitioners on referrals to Tier 3 Drug and Alcohol substance misuse services:

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Here you will some useful support documents:

• Guidance for practitioners on referrals to Tier 3 Drug and Alcohol substance misuse services
• Drug/Alcohol screening tool for use with young people

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• 23 January 2012 - Under 18 benefits and referral procedures revised Jan 2012
• 7 December - 25 November 2011 – £1billion package to tackle youth unemployment. Almost £1billion will be spent over the next three years to provide unemployed young people with extra help as part of a new "Youth Contract"
• I August - Under 18 benefits and referral procedures including Care to Learn – North – (you may find this useful to adapt for your area – if so you could send me the doc to go GCN so that a wide range of staff can access it)
• Youth employment schemes to be bolstered by £60m injection 12 May 2011
• Supporting Youth Employment - an overview of the coalition government's strategy
• Reducing the numbers of young people not in education, employment or training: what works and why
• NEET Statistics - Quarterly Brief, August 2010.This note sets out the available statistics on young people Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and young people Not in Education or Training (NET) from various sources.  NOTE -  NEET Statistics - Quarterly brief - Quarter 1 2011 Release date: 26 May 2011 at 9:30am
• Breaking the Cycle of Worklessness - an information document from the Prince's Trust.
• Changing the NEET Mindset
  Contents Foreword
  Executive summary
  1 Section one NEETs: the crisis we face 3 1.1 The crisis we face: 900,000 and counting  page 3
  1.2 Raising the participation age and compulsion – pushing problems  downstream? - 6
  1.3 Labour market links and the transition to work - 8
  1.4 Structural problems in the labour market - 10
  1.5 Wider socio-cultural factors that affect NEETs and preparing for RPA - 11
  1.6 Identifying gaps in the current offer – what else can be improved? - 12
  Section two Why do young people become disengaged? - 13
  2.1 What is at the heart of the problem? - 13
  2.2 Transition from Key Stage 3 to 4 - 14
  2.3 Transition and progression: why do we lose young people at different stages? - 17
  2.4 Redefining the key term(s) - 19
  2.5 Choice in the curriculum  -19
  2.6 Problems in the system and limitations to current solutions - 20
  2.7 Other problems in the system - 22
  2.8 Vocational learning and the 'disengaged' - 24
  2.9 In conclusion – changing the terms of reference - 25
  Section three International comparisons - 27
  3.1 What works? International examples of transitions - 27
  3.2 Earlier careers advice and specialisation in school - 28
  3.3 Transition from work to school - 29
  Section four Ways to improve our system: bringing down the number of NEETs - 33
  4.1 Identifying gaps in the current offer - what else can be improved? - 33
  4.2 Taking a year out at 14 - 34
  4.3 Increased work experience, placements and integrated course materials: - 37 bringing work to life
  4.4 Improved IAG and CEG - 42
  4.5 Transition support specific to each stage - 47
  4.6 Alternative systems: age not stage - 52
  4.7 Learning accounts - 53
  4.8 Apprenticeship training - 56
  4.9 Licence to practise - 57
  Section five Recommendations - 59
• Improving Young People’s Lives The role of the environment in building resilience, responsibility and employment chances - Sustainable Development Commission
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has published an updated Work Programme prospectus setting out details of the government's flagship welfare to work scheme
• Improving Services for Young People - an economic perspective The period between the ages of 16 and 25 is typically one of self exploration, experimentation and personal growth. Most young people emerge ready and equipped for adulthood. However, for a minority, this period can be turbulent; hindering rather than aiding their transition to adulthood.
  Currently, public services do not deal effectively with this life stage. At the ages of 16, 17 and 18 many of the better targeted and coordinated services for children fall away, often leaving young people who lack support from their families both vulnerable and struggling. An estimated 200,000 young people find themselves locked into destructive cycles, with long-term consequences for their economic, physical and emotional wellbeing and substantial costs for the state as a result of their ill-health and their dependence on welfare.
  In light of this, Catch22 launched the Ready or Not campaign in 2010, calling for a radical overhaul in our approach to young adulthood, through formally recognising this transition period as a life stage and making services more coherent and accessible for the 16-25 age group. To identify and measure potential outcomes from a new and more coherent approach, Catch22 commissioned nef (the new economics foundation) to produce a costing study using the Social Return on Investment (SROI) cost benefit tool.

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This is the adviser copy of the Job Seekers pack with the links, all of which can be found on Get Connected Now:

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On three Saturdays in January there were  workshops in three parts of the County, open to all young people in North Yorkshire. The workshops  looked at promoting the Gimi website, activities and information for young people through social media, and they involved producing films and music that will not only feature on the website but will also be spread across the internet.

You can read an article about the Gimi workshop that was held at Carlton Lodge on Saturday 8 January 2011.  This workshop was used to promote Gimi through social networking, so please do check out the links in the article which show through video, photos and audio, what our young people got up to on the day.

Please check out what we got up to at our Gimi stop motion animation workshop at Bilton Youth Centre on Saturday 15 January:  The young people involved produced some great animations, so please take a look, and also check out the photos an interviews done on the day. Please pass on this link to any young people you work with or any professionals you think might be interested. In particular we want it to be passed around Facebook and other social networking sites, and we want as many people as possible to 'Like' our Facebook page:  Or follow us on Twitter.

Please check out what we got up to at our Gimi music workshop at Woodend Creative Space, Scarborough on Saturday 22 January:  The young people involved produced an awesome music track, so please take time to listen. Please pass on this link to any young people you work with or any professionals you think might be interested. In particular we want it to be passed around facebook and other social networking sites, and we want as many people as possible to 'Like' our Facebook page:  Or follow us on Twitter.

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The government has launched an international volunteering scheme to encourage young people from the UK to take part in projects in developing countries. The International Citizen Service is being co-ordinated by VSO UK on behalf of the government and is aimed at 18- to 22-year-olds. Projects will run for between 10 and 12 weeks and include work in South America and Africa with people living with HIV/Aids.

Work experience

North Yorkshire County Council offer a variety of work placements through the Real Start Work Experience Programme. Each year placements are set up with Managers across the authority to allow individuals to gain an insight into local government and all that comes with it. Placements are offered throughout the five directorates across the whole of North Yorkshire. 

In this work experience bulletin for 2010-11 you will find information on placements available, the location of availability and how to request the placements detailed. **The new bulletin will be available from September 2011**.

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Documents and links:

• Published December 2011 Young people's education and labour market choices aged 16/17 to 18/19 In the context of a difficult 2011 labour market, this report examines the early educational and labour market transitions made by young people, age 16/17 through to age 18/19. The overarching objective of the research is to obtain empirical evidence on the transitions made by young people which can then inform policies to improve transitions into the labour market for young people
• Investing in UK health and life sciences URN: 11/1428 Publication date: 5 Dec 2011
• Strength and opportunity 2011: the landscape of the medical technology, medical biotechnology, industrial biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors in the UK URN: 11/P90 Publication date: 5 Dec 2011
• 14 July 2010, Office for National Statistics, Labour Market Statistics
• Labour Market Information on this website
• LMI from Next Step
• The National Guidance Research Forum - Purpose: To bring together research and practice in guidance to increase effectiveness. You can register free and there are resources on LMI including the LMI learning modules
• 28 October - BIS economics paper no.7. Analytical paper to support the sub-national growth.  A white paper produced by the Treasury. Understanding Local Growth  is an important document for advisers, teachers and others. This analytical paper examines the evidence on differences in economic performance across England and discusses the key lessons from economic theory which underpins these policy changes. The scope of this paper is to set out broad analysis on economic drivers and disparities between places. It is envisaged that future analysis will build on this to explore further how the Government’s reforms will shape local economic growth
• 1 November - Backing Small Business - what the government intends to do to support small businesses.
• For information about the Harrogate area, Harrogate Borough Council's Local economic statistics 'page is useful.
• Identikit' high streets and urban sprawl are out and sustainability in 10th Dec 2010 A new framework is unveiled for creating a sustainable urban business environment. British workers and businesses want the cities of tomorrow to be more local, individual and sustainable according to a major new report unveiled this week. Future generations will shun generic high streets, long commutes and demand 'walkable' city centres, the research warns, prompting the rise of more localised, digitally connected and energy efficient business environments
• The Use of LMI in Online Career Direction and Learning UK Commission for Employment and Skills December 2010
• 5 lesson plans that can be used with students of all ages from LMI YNY  lesson plans Lesson Plan 1 - Investigating Employment in my Local Area Lesson Plan 2 - Exploring Potential Employment Trends Lesson Plan 3 - Finding out about Local Companies Lesson Plan 4 - Travelling to Work Lesson Plan 5 - Skills for Employment
• Next Gen. This landmark report sets out how the UK can be transformed into the world’s leading talent hub for video games and visual effects. At over £2 billion in global sales, the UK’s video games sector is bigger than either its film or music industries, and visual effects, the fastest growing component of the UK’s film industry, grew at an explosive 16.8 per cent between 2006 and 2008. High-tech, knowledge-intensive sectors and, in the case of video games, major generators of intellectual property, these industries have all the attributes the UK needs to succeed in the 21st century. Yet, the sad truth is that we are already starting to lose our cutting edge: in just two years, it seems the UK’s video games industry has dipped from third to sixth place in the global development rankings. Meanwhile, the visual effects industry, though still enjoying very rapid growth, is having to source talent from overseas because of skills shortages at home. That is mainly a failing of our education system – from schools to universities – and it needs to be tackled urgently if we are to remain globally competitive
• Local links where you can find potentially useful information:
  Harrogate Business Development Unit
  Richmondshire District Council
  Hambleton District Council

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The January issue includes:

In this edition's Spotlight Feature we look at the Autumn Statement 2011 and the second phase of the Growth Review from an employment and skills perspective.

Work and the Workplace

• Improving UK management capability
• High performance work and organisational performance
• The new world of work and its impact on management practices

Learning and skills

• Factors impacting on post-16 learning decisions
• Rethinking apprenticeships to tackle youth unemployment
• Skills for the green economy
• Higher education progression among Advanced Apprentices
• Decision-making in school subject and course choices
• Study identifies concentrations of worklessness
• The strategic role of colleges and their contribution to communities

Labour Market

• Job-search outcomes favour those already in work
• The dynamics of worklessness in deprived areas
• Education and labour market policy produce a ‘young person's penalty'

The Economy

• Promoting entrepreneurial innovation and productivity
• Comparative study measures well-being in over forty countries

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You could find the following documents helpful:

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The national private fostering site.

Private fostering is where a child or young person under the age of 16 (or 18 in the case of a disabled young person) lives with somebody who is not their parent or close relative (defined as grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt, or step-parent if married to the parent) for 28 days or more. A private foster carer is often somebody known to the child’s family, perhaps the parent of a friend, but it may be somebody who was previously unknown but is willing to privately foster a child. It is a legal requirement that Social Care is told about these arrangements so that a social worker can check that the arrangements are suitable and safe for the child.

Throughout the year North Yorkshire County Council works to raise awareness about private fostering with articles, briefings, leaflets and posters. This year the emphasis in the national campaign run by the British Association for Adoption and Fostering is to change the behaviour of professionals by encouraging them always to notify Social Care when they learn about a private fostering arrangement. It is only by doing this that the numbers of un-notified arrangements of children who are privately fostered will be reduced.

If Social Care doesn’t know about private fostering arrangements, action can’t be taken to make sure that children are safe. If you work with children and young people in this area and you come across a private fostering arrangement, tell Children’s Social Care and help reduce the number of children living in un-notified arrangements.

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This document shows you the destinations of the 2010 Year 11 cohort in North Yorkshire as recorded on 1 Novemer 2010.

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The fifth annual National Apprenticeship Week is only 7 weeks away!

The Week will celebrate and showcase the talent and skills of apprentices, across England from Monday 6 to Friday 10 February.

The Week has been hugely successful over the last four years with hundreds of activities taking place. For 2012 we want to raise the awareness and esteem of Apprenticeships even further and you can play an important part in The Week's success.

THE HUB

We have created a ‘Hub' of resources on our website that can be used to help you support the Week. It can be accessed here.

This includes:

• The 2012 Toolkit to support your planning
• National Apprenticeship Week supporting 2012 logos
• Contacts at 4 national newspapers producing Apprenticeship supplements
• Apprenticeship Week templates
• FAQs and myth-busting information
• "Get with Apprenticeships" marketing campaign resources
• Case study protocol and templates

ACTIVITY FORM

If you are planning any activities for the Week, please complete our Activity Form and return it to theweek@apprenticeships.gov.uk

NAS will use this information to populate the events calendar on apprenticeships.org.uk and possibly use it in PR with the local or national media. Click here to download the activity form. There are a number of ways you can lend your support. As well as organising an event, you might also want to consider supporting the following national and social media activities:

WE'RE WITH APPRENTICESHIPS BECAUSE...

We are collating material (quotes, case studies and video footage) from Apprenticeship employers and apprentices to explain why they are "with Apprenticeships" - describing the benefits and value that Apprenticeships have brought to the business/individual. These will be showcased on our website and other Apprenticeship channels. Please add your materials to our template form and email to theweek@apprenticeships.gov.uk

APPRENTICESHIP HALL OF FAME

Did your Managing Director or Chief Executive start their career as an apprentice? Or do you know an award winning former apprentice whose career has gone on to flourish? Or even a celebrity who started out as an apprentice? If so, they could be ideal candidates for our online Hall of Fame, which will showcase the rise and accomplishments of England's most successful apprentices.

Please supply a biography and photo from the individual you would like to nominate for the Hall of Fame that tells their career progression story. Please add your biography to our template form and e-mail to theweek@apprenticeships.gov.uk.

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The Education and Employment Taskforce vision: "To ensure that every school and college has an effective partnership with employers to provide its young people with the inspiration, motivation, knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to help them achieve their potential and so to secure our future national prosperity."  The Teachers' Guide helps all members of school and college staff to learn about working with employers and understand the benefits of doing so. The Teachers' Guide provides:

• A one-stop shop for help with working with employers
• Advice on how to contact employers and establish partnerships
• Guidance that is suitable for all educational establishments
• Comprehensive information on all the methods of working with employers: work experience, mentoring, school sponsorship and more. Already work with employersLearn more about the Taskforce.

The research base on the impact of employer engagement in the educational process is growing all the time. Browse the categories on this page to access key reports and their summaries. 

For an overview of the field, read the Taskforce report 'What is to be gained?'. This report published on 15 October 2010 pulls together robust UK and international evidence on employer engagement, looking at the extent of benefits yielded for young people, schools and colleges and the employers themselves.

What is to be gained through partnership? Exploring the value of education-employer relationships
Produced by the Education and Employers taskforce

The January newsletter from the Education and Employers Taskforce focuses on:

• Research which shows the importance of schools continuing to promote employer engagement activities. They found a correlation between 14-19-year-olds who participate in employer engagement activities and better labour market outcomes at 19-24-years-of-age.


• Research into the importance that Russell Group universities place on work experience in six professional fields. Veterinary medicine, dentistry and medicine emerged as the subjects where it was regarded as most essential or desirable


• The Education and Employers Taskforce Working Group on Work Experience has gathered important new evidence on the impact and delivery of work experience


• Evidence from five schools in the West Midlands that work experience can serve to reinforce social inequalities and how one school has broken the trend by personalising and managing work experience more tightly.


• The importance of language learning to the British economy. In December, the taskforce and CfBT launched a report on 'The economic case for language learning and the role of employer engagement'


• The TES Growing Ambitions website for teachers and careers professionals to share free resources that can be used to support young people's learning about jobs, careers and the world of work. It will be formally launched this year but can already be accessed at http://growingambitions.tes.co.uk/

OECD Reviews of Vocational Education and Training - Learning for Jobs  - For OECD member countries, high-level workplace skills are considered a key means of supporting economic growth. Systems of vocational education and training (VET) are now under intensive scrutiny to determine if they can deliver the skills required. Learning for Jobs is an OECD study of vocational education and training designed to help countries make their VET systems more responsive to labour market needs. It expands the evidence base, identifies a set of policy options and develops tools to appraise VET policy initiatives.

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These are courses/events run by partners and organisations other than NYCC:

- The National Career Guidance Show North 23 February 2012 @ Saviles Hall, Leeds

This gives career guidance professionals working with both young people and adults a chance to network, learn and meet like-minded colleagues; gain valuable insights and CPD at expert seminars and meet over a diverse range of exhibitors including employers, colleges, sector skills councils, qualification bodies and professional organisations.

Find out more and book your free place.

Seminar speakers announced

We are thrilled to announce the seminars for the National Career Guidance Show North, the leading events for careers professionals taking place at the Saviles Hall opposite the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds on 23 February.

Free to visit the event is ideal for advisers and managers working with adults.

Keeping up-to-date with changes in career guidance is not only desirable it is essential and at the National Career Guidance Shows you can meet also meet top exhibitors. A great day out, the shows are the perfect forum for you to network with fellow career guidance professionals and share best practice. You can make key contacts and develop relationships for future networking.

The popular groundbreaking seminar programme, with places available on a first come, first served basis will take place in the Bury Theatre in the Royal Armouries Museum. The relevant, inspiring andinsightful sessions are CPD certified by the Institute of Career Guidance.

• 10:30am Steve Hartley, SAE Institute
• 11:15am Let's revisit career guidance, its theories and models! John Gough, Coventry University
  12:00pm Making the Most of the Green Collar Revolution (new employment opportunities) Michael Spayne, Focus LMI
• 12.45pm Skills Funding Agency
• 1:30pm Careers in the NHS - latest workforce developments Alan Simmons, NHS Careers
• 2:15pm Graduate v Non Graduate: Navigating a career in finance, accountancy and financial services Jenny Barber, Financial Skills Partnership
• 3:00pm National Apprenticeship Service

The National Career Guidance Shows are organised by Prospects Events in partnership with the Institute of Career Guidance.The National Career Guidance Shows are open to anyone working in career guidance. Email your contacts to come along and enjoy networking and gaining relevant and up-to-date industry information with you.

Whether you are an adviser, manager, practitioner or career guidance student; working for a large organisation or for yourself; with adults or young people; client facing or strategically; you will benefit from coming along to this informal yet informative event.

For more information email alona.dehavilland@prospects.co.uk or call 01823 362800.

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National Careers Week 5 - 9 March 2012

National Careers Week 2012 is a week long celebration of careers education, advice and guidance across the UK.

Here are just some of the ways you can get involved:

1. Head over to nationalcareersweek.com and register

2. Read all about National Careers Week

3. Start accessing and sharing the free resources and let us know of any that we've missed

4. Follow @careersweek on Twitter and share your ideas

5. Download the official poster and start planning your week

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- Fourth annual ICT in CEIAG conference - 'New freedoms - new responsibilities' - 1st-2nd March 2012, York The theme of the event focuses on the benefits of using ICT alongside traditional face-to-face methods in careers education and guidance.

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epoc careers organise careers conferences for students:

Places are available at our next events:

• Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Doctor Saturday 11 February 2012, 10.00am-4.30pm, at University College
• London Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Lawyer Saturday 18 February 2012, 10:00am-4:30pm, at University College London
• Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Doctor Saturday 3 March 2012, 10.00am-4.30pm, at The University of Manchester

The careers conferences are principally designed for students in Year 11 and Year 12. Other students, careers advisers, teachers and parents are also welcome to attend. These events give students the opportunity to:

• Gain practical advice on getting into university and the profession of their choice
• Talk to university admissions tutors and university students
• Find out about the career and its specialist fields € Speak with solicitors, barristers / doctors
• Discuss their academic options, alternatives and related careers

We provide high quality, focussed, unbiased careers events. As well as helping students to achieve their goals, our conferences give them a clear view of the advantages and disadvantages of a career. Students attending our conferences find them a valuable and enjoyable experience. For full details, including costs and the application form, please visit our website.

If you have any queries, you are welcome to contact Frances Scott Careers Adviser Epoc Careers 18 Church Road, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1ET Tel: 01707 661107 Fax: 01707 665556

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- Calendar of ICG training events and conferences for 2011/2012  

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- NYY Training - Bite Sized Accredited Youth Work Training

We are proud to be offering a series of Youth Work units from the Level 2 Youth Work qualification. NYY have recognised centre status with OCN and are able to offer high quality learning opportunities which are flexible and learner friendly. 

• Poster publicising the units available
• Bite sized Youth Work info sheet
• Youth Work bite sized booking form

If you require further information please do not hesitate in contacting us. Booking forms should be returned to gillian@nyy.org.uk  We are able to run a wide variety of training for young people and adults, in the community or at our outdoor activity centre, Carlton Lodge. Please contact us if you would like to discuss any requirements you may have.

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National Apprenticeship Week  6 - 10 February 2012

• Toolkit
  The new 2012 toolkit is packed with handy hints and tips so all our partners can easily get involved. Please familiarise yourself with the toolkit so that we can all work towards maximising The Weeks' exposure.
• Activity Form
  Last year we received details of over 500 events taking place across England and this year we want to surpass it. Please encourage all partners to get involved and fill in the activity form. Then we can promote their event on our website and also consider their activity for a visit by a local MP, a member of NAS SMT or even a Ministerial visit.
• Handy Information Sheet
  There are lots of helpful hints, tips and ideas available on the website. We have also produced a handy double sided information sheet
• Supporter's Logo
  This year we have updated the National Apprenticeship Week supporters' logo to encourage Apprenticeship employers and stakeholders to promote the Week.

All of these items can be accessed from the National Apprenticeship Week section of the website

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- Higher York is once again running a range of free sessions relating to Progression to Higher Education. This year, sessions will cover the follow topics:

• Additional Learning Needs and Disabled Students Allowance
• Student Finance
• UCAS Apply

For further information.  Please note that the UCAS Apply session has only a small number of places due to the interactive nature of the training and therefore places will be limited to one per organisation.

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• Fuelling Potential A blueprint for skills accounts and the adult advancement and careers service
• A presentation called Implementing the Vision: Information, Advice and Guidance for Young People
• Towards a strong careers profession An independent report to the Department for Education by the Careers Profession Task Force. This report looks at all aspects of the delivery of CEIAG to young people
• National Careers Service for England - 13 April 2011. The Government's expectations on local authorities and schools in respect of careers guidance, and the positioning of the all-age careers service in this context have been placed on the Departments' websites today. This includes the roles of schools and colleges.

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During the week of 7 - 11 March the careersbox team  celebrated the world of careers advice and guidance.

Over the  5 days they sent via the daily newsletters, free careers resources, case study films, news and information to promote the importance of quality IAG and inspire the next generation of job seekers as they take their first steps into the world of work.

The links take through to the newletters and resources which will be added to this website asap.

Daily theme:

• Monday - Apprenticeships v.s. University
• Tuesday is all about Career Pathways. You'll receivetheir recent School Leaver Options film, insight into a number of lesser known career paths and a number of other film and downloadable resources
• Wednesday: will focus on work readiness preparing for the World of Work - Level 7 - The Interview Techniques Guide, The Bad Covering Letter and Free Resources for Schools
• Thursday:they have taken a closer look at vocational careers and how to get into them
• Friday: looking to the future with career trends and green careers including apprenticeships and graduate opportunities.

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Here you will find a document which gives you a guided tour of the website.  This will enable you to see how you could use the site to support your work. 

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The documents that here are needed to link to text in other areas.