Agenda item

(1)       The Committee received an update report on the current developments relating to 14-19 provision.  The focus of the report was to give details of on-going work that involved information, advice, guidance, careers education and 14-19 Diploma implementation across the county.

(2)       Members made comments and asked questions that were answered by Ms Dunn which included the following:-

• In response to a request for an assurance that despite the economy climate KCC would go ahead with the implementation of the diploma programme.    Ms Dunn explained that although there was a get out clause in the Act which related to the cost of transport, KCC had a duty and were committed to provide an entitlement to young, subject to transport cost not mitigating against that. Even in situations were transport costs were prohibitive there were other ways eg use of IT to deliver the entitlement.

• The issue of ensuring that carer’s advice in schools especially those that were academically orientated was impartial was mentioned.  Ms Dunn stated that a key priority for the innovation unit was to establish an area prospectus to ensure that young people had access to this advice.  A website was being created to help provide this information to young people.   Under proposed legislation schools would have a duty to provide impartial information and the local authority would have the ability to challenge the advice given by schools, if it was not impartial.

• The importance of careers advice leading to what was best for the pupil rather than the school was emphasised.

• A view was expressed that careers advice should be funded so that it could be started earlier for example in year 10 to give opportunity for a more informed choice to be made.

• The auditing of careers libraries in schools by Connexions was mentioned and specifically what happened if the audit found the library to be inadequate.  Ms Dunn stated that Connexions gave a very small sum to schools for this library, the local authority were made aware of schools that did not pass the audit and worked with them to address this.

• In response to a question on the importance of ensuring that the skills subjects offered matched the skills need in the locality, Ms Dunn stated that officers were working on intelligence relating to the job market in areas to influence the curriculum offer. 

• Regarding a question on why the only diplomas available in Kent Thameside in 2009 were hospitality and hair services, Ms Dunn explained that in Gravesend course on construction and engineering were provided leading to vocational qualifications rather than a diploma.  The report contained details of diploma provision only.

• Ms Dunn confirmed that the pattern that they were seeing in relation to the spread of take up was a third each for Vocational, Academic and the apprenticeship route.  These were early figures and would be moderated in a year’s time and especially in the economic down it was anticipated that these figures were likely to change.

• In response to a question Ms Dunn stated that the selective sector had shown an interest in level 3 diplomas in construction, engineering and creative media.

(3)       RESOLVED that the report be noted