This report enables the Committee to review the implementation of the Youth Guarantee part of the Welsh Governments Strategy as set out in the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework.
(a) Councilor Sarah Merry (Cabinet Member for Education and Skills) will be in attendance and may wish to make a statement;
(b) Nick Batchelar (Director of Education and Lifelong Learning), Carol Jones (Assistant Director Education) and John Fabes (Achievement Leader - 14-19) will present the report and be available to answer questions Members may have;
(c) Questions from Committee Members.
Cofnodion:
The Chairperson welcomed Councillor Sarah Merry (Cabinet Member for Education), Carol Jones (Assistant Director of Education and Lifelong Learning), Angela Kent (Head of Achievement and Inclusion) and John Fabes (Achievement Leader – young people age 14 to 19 years).
The purpose of this report was to provide the Committee with a progress report on the implementation of the Youth Guarantee (which is part of the Welsh Government’s Strategy as set out in the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework) in line with Welsh Government briefings.
The Chairperson invited the Cabinet Member to make a statement. Councillor Merry informed the Committee that the aim is to make sure that all Year 11 young people make a successful transition to post-16 education and training. This is central to the approach taken to tackle the problem of young people being in neither education, employment nor training (NEET). The number of those who are NEET is going down but it is important to track young people beyond the start of any learning or training courses that they begin when they leave school. It is important that they finish the courses they start and not leave soon after starting them. It is important to make sure that they have the right support once they have started their post-16 courses.
John Fabes gave a presentation, following which the Chairperson invited questions from the Committee.
The Committee enquired whether Careers Wales is responsible for giving young people careers advice or whether teachers, whose time is limited, have that responsibility. The Committee was advised that the funding for Careers Wales has reduced and it can not provide one-to-one guidance. Providing careers guidance is now the responsibility of teachers, although Estyn has noted that schools are not really ready to take it on. Careers Wales will focus on the most vulnerable young people and will provide generic training to school staff who it is hoped will cascade what they have learned to their colleagues. There is a new Careers Wales project aimed at supporting the transition of young people from school into further education or training and it is hoped that this will attract European funding.
The Committee was concerned that what had been described was quite a complicated process and that the responsibility for giving careers guidance is to fall on schools. The Committee asked what the financial implications of this would be for schools and colleges. The Committee was advised that the complexity lies within the collective responsibility that exists around this age group. ‘A’ Levels are not suitable for all and foundation apprenticeships are important. There is a tension in the system in that if young people do not progress on to sixth form, then schools lose funding. On the financial implications, the Committee was advised that there is no additional money to resource the provision of careers advice to young people by schools.
The Committee noted that one thing that will be offered to young people by the Welsh Government Youth Engagement and Progression Framework is the development of a proactive and positive Youth Guarantee that will help to ensure that every young person has access to a suitable place in learning post-16. The Committee asked whether this would include support with living costs, as some of the young people that will need to take up this offer are vulnerable and will not have access to the same resources as others may have. The Committee was advised that there is a small salary of between £30 and £50 per week for attendance on some schemes.
The Committee asked when will it become clear whether or not this approach, the Youth Guarantee, is working, and how will it be monitored. The Committee also pointed out that there are a number of sixth form colleges in Cardiff and asked whether there will come a time when the local authority will need to re-think its further education strategy. The Committee was advised that it is the case that there are some sixth form colleges in Cardiff that are barely viable but the most important thing is that young people get the widest choice that they can. Partnership working will be important. The Post-16 task group is tasked with developing future policy. The local authority is expecting significant budget cuts from WG and colleges are expecting an overall budget cut of approximately 10%. Some sixth form colleges have been combining their programmes the make efficiencies.
The Committee asked whether this strategy covers those young people who have significant learning difficulties, some of whom, it is reported, are reluctant to leave school because they have no post-16 destination. A lot of NEETs may have significant learning difficulties. The Committee also asked for more information on the current situation regarding the tracking of young people once they have left secondary education. The Committee was advised that initial guidance on the Youth Guarantee made little reference to those young people who may have special educational needs. The local authority will be running an audit at the start of next term to identify the cohorts that will be leaving and asking schools if they have the capacity to give good guidance to those groups. Also, lead workers have been introduced to give guidance to young people who are in their first year of sixth form, to help them through that year, and this has been a success.
The Committee asked whether the work experience that young people get in Year 10 is linked to the careers guidance that they get. The Committee was advised that WG has removed the funding that allowed Careers Wales to maintain a database of employers that can offer work experience placements. Careers Wales also carried out the required vetting of those employers. Now the employers are expected to do their own vetting and it is left to the schools to make sure that this has been done. The majority of work experience in Wales is to stop. WG recognises its value but has said that it can not afford to fund it.
The Chairperson thanked the Cabinet Member and officers for attending the meeting, for their presentation and for answering questions from Members.
AGREED: That the Chairperson on behalf of the Committee writes to the Cabinet Member highlighting the issues raised during the Way Forward discussion.