Agenda item

 (Report by Mr M Baker, Interim Director of Learning)

(Ms K Phillips, Policy Officer was present for this item)

(1)         The Committee considered a report on the number of people who were Not in Employment Education or Training (NEET) in Kent, and details of strategies in place to address the issues for this cohort of young people.

(2)         Ms Phillips introduced the report highlighting the key issues.  She advised that there was a move away from using the label NEETs as a noun as young people did not feel it was helpful to their needs and made assumptions about them.  Many have qualification and many have a level 2 qualification or above   There were 5.02% young people who were NEET in September 2009, which was better than September 2008’s figure of 5.71%. Dover, Folkestone and Maidstone had the highest decrease. There was a strategy in place and a County Group with representation from Children, Families and Education Directorate, Communities directorate, the Learning Skills Council and Connexions.  There were now effective NEETs groups at local level.  The ‘September Guarantee’ Kent was ahead of the national benchmark.  The plan was to look at a selection key areas to establish of  to find why they a doing so well in NEETs or why they were struggling

(3)         Members were given the opportunity to make comments and ask questions which included the following:

(4)         Mr Burgess said that he felt the ‘September Guarantee’ was an excellent initiative as there was very little incentive when a person had a job to acquire qualifications for that job and suggested that money should be used from ‘Train to Gain’ for bespoke training to enhance or compliment the work that they were doing.

(5)               In response to questions and comments by Mr Burgess, Ms Phillips explained that; in Part 1 of the Strategy there was a key focus on early identification.  A lot of work was being undertaken with years 10 and 11 to start supporting young people before they reached 16 years old, a key transition stage.  There was a need for more communication between schools and colleges in terms of making them aware of young person’s particular issues too.

As well as a continued responsibility for reducing the young people who were NEET, from April 2010 the Local Authority would have the opportunity to scrutinize the quality of the post 16 provision, as the completion and succession rate could be improved.  It was not enough to engage young people, then say the young people were off the NEETs register, there was a need to know what young people were progressing 18 months on, how long they stayed in those positive opportunities. Ms Phillips said that she would be speaking to Connexions.

From now Schools would be monitored by OTSTED on Post 16 Progression Measure. The schools would be monitored on what the young people were doing when they leave the school and what qualification they had up to age 19 years. This was still being development by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). This was being piloted in other Local Authorities at present.

Regarding early intervention, the Department of Children, Schools and Families had published an ‘Information Advice and Guidance Strategy’ (IAG), which looked at careers advice for primary school pupils, getting employers, local businesses involved and providing a personal tutor for each pupil. The Directorate would be taking this forward in future and how it implement those.  Kent Schools also had, through Connexions, an IAG health check on careers advice in schools careers advice would be a key activity. There was also an expectation that at least one member senior management team and a Governor had a lead role in this.   Helping parents and families to get involved was key.  Programmes to raise aspirations ‘HE Compact’ which worked with a number of schools mainly in Swale, was a programme where young people could gain UCAS points.  Part of the events includes the parents of those young people to help them understand the process. 

(6)       In response to a number of questions by Mr Wedgbury, Ms Phillips said that she would contact Connexions to acquire the specific data on the NEETs for the Committee outside the meeting. She advised that the proportion of long term NEET was low.  Kent had a ‘churn rate’, ie those that were NEET for a few weeks or a few months. Connexions would be able to advise on those NEETs that were Churn NEETs that are in a revolving door.

Ms Phillips concurred with Mr Wedgbury  that a 50% failure rate in terms of completion was correct, there was a need to look at the types of provision and the quality, the right providers in the right places needed to be looked at too.   KCC would need to have a high level of rigour and scrutiny on the issues.  At the age of 20 years they come off the NEETs Register and would transfer to ‘Job Centre Plus’.  The Committee would welcome, in its monitoring role key indicators on what was happening.

(7)     Mr Baker advised that Connexions send detailed report a copy of the report plus officer commentary could be forwarded to committee Members.

(8)    Mr Vye referred to the work of a Community Youth Tutor, facilitated by the Youth Service in a school in his electoral division who he felt brought a different dimension for children who found the usual form of education difficult.  This went a long way to helping disaffected young people. Ms Phillips commented that Canterbury had good examples of Community Youth Tutors of how they were trying to bring together education and curriculum together with Youth Services and integrated Youth service; we would like to extend these examples to other areas that would benefit.

(9)    Mr Vye enquired whether the Voluntary Sector helped to provided young people with new skills. Mr Baker advised that the County was keen to increase the level of understanding of the level of engagement of the Voluntary sector to those that were NEET.  Shepway Local Planning Forum, with colleagues from the Learning Skill Council, were in the process of mapping the level of involvement of the Voluntary Sector and understand what they were doing and apply this to other areas that may need it.

(10)    In response to a question by Mr Ozog, Ms Phillips advised that the school would not have to track the child from 16 to 19 years. They would be judged on what the child was doing when they were19 years.  Connexions undertake in depth tracking of 16 to 19 years olds.

(11)     In response to a question by the Chairman, Ms Phillips advised that

Connexions was aware of NEETs and those becoming new NEETs. Connexions was tuned into the economic challenges.  Connexions carried out a monthly monitoring report as well as a formal quarterly report which highlighted any changes which would be reacted to. 

(12)       RESOLVED that the responses to comments and questions by Members and the progress made in reducing the number of Kent’s young people who are NEET be noted.