The Raising of the Participation AgeFor local authority staff and partners

Raising the Participation Age

RPA means all young people will stay in education or training until 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015

(A reminder of) the rationale

• Demand for skills is growing – independent experts predict that as few as 600,000 unqualified adults will be in work in 2020

• Up to 10% of 16–18 year olds are NEET, and many more are in jobs without training

• Higher than the international average of 7% (OECD)

• Strong correlation between not participating and negative outcomes

• UK needs a more highly skilled workforce, with more young people achieving at higher levels

Raising the Participation Age: All 16-17 year olds in education or training by 2015

New duty applies to anyone who is:• Under 18 and• Resident in England and• Without level 3

Duty is to participate in:• Full-time education – accredited or

unaccredited• Work-based learning e.g.

Apprenticeship• Part-time accredited learning (at least

280 guided learning hours per year – around a day per week) if in employment or volunteering full time (at least 20 hours per week)

Introduced in phases – to 17 in 2013; 18 in 2015

The requirement

• Benefits to the young person, their family, employers, the UK economy and society as a whole

• UK is below the OECD average on post-16 participation

• Young people who gain 5 or more good GCSEs earn on average 25% more than those without qualifications and are less likely to have periods of unemployment

• They are also less likely to commit crimes, behave anti-socially, or to suffer ill-health

The rationale

The 14–19 reforms

• If all young people are to participate to 18, we need to offer students a range of appealing options that suit them

• 14–19 reforms already benefiting students – some of whom were previously disengaged

• Young people need high quality, personalised support to help them choose the right 14–19 pathway and stay engaged in learning

Learning pathways

Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2009. Peter Grundy

The role of local authorities

• LAs at the heart of achieving RPA and have the legal duty to deliver it

• Need to ensure young people can access the full range of 14–19 options and integrated support

• Transfer of responsibility for commissioning 16–19 education to LAs, so they can commission

and decommission provision and support

• Opportunity to meet identified needs-based on local intelligence

• Planning for implementation needs to start now

Acting on early disengagement

• First cohorts affected by RPA already in Y7–8

• Over 85% of Year 7s surveyed feel they know what they want to do in the future. It’s vital that these aspirations are not lost

• Many young people who disengage at KS3 never re-engage

• LAs need to:• Know and understand the cohort and

commission intelligently based on this

• raise awareness of the breadth of opportunity

• Identify young people at risk of disengaging early, intervene and provide targeted support.

Acting on early disengagement

• Where we are

• Our next steps

The learning offer

• Many young people are engaged by learning that they see as relevant

• 14–19 pathways will meet the needs of most young people beyond 15, but need to be personalised

• Need to develop and support a provider network that can deliver an innovative, flexible curriculum offer – including schools, FE colleges, work-based trainers, employers, third sector and youth work providers

• Ensure the local 14–19 Prospectus contains detailed and accessible information about the full range if learning options, including flexible starts and part time provision

The learning offer

• Where we are

• Our next steps

Support for success

• Every young person needs high quality, personalised support to help them choose the right options and progress

• All need access to high quality, impartial IAG services

• Some need more targeted support to overcome barriers to participation

• Can 14-19 planning and commissioning work with IYSS to ensure holistic approach to service design and delivery and strategies to recognise early signs of disengagement and offer integrated support?

Support for success

• Where we are

• Our next steps

Knowing your cohort

• Do we have high quality data on your cohort?

• Connexions responsible for tracking their progress through CCIS

• How can we use to use this information to design seamless pathways into through and beyond 14-19, and support the most vulnerable?

• Transition is a joint venture between all parties

Knowing your cohort

• Where we are

• Our next steps

Communication the message

• How can we ensure that communications around RPA are locally led, with support from national agencies where appropriate?

• How can we include all stakeholders?

• Local authority staff

• Local councillors

• Support services

• Employers

• Schools, colleges and other providers, and governing bodies

• Young people, parents and carers

Communication the message

• Where we are

• Our next steps

Further support

www.14-19support.org