This document discusses challenges in raising the participation age in education and training in England from 16 to 18 and responses to those challenges. It notes that most young people participate in full-time education, apprenticeships, or training, but some are unemployed. Initiatives to address this include increasing attainment at age 16, supporting post-16 options, improving vocational education, and engaging those not ready to learn through programs like the Youth Contract. The Youth Contract provides additional support through local organizations for disengaged 16-17 year olds to help them into education, training or jobs.

1. Raising the Participation Age –
Challenges and Responses
Peter Mucklow
National Director for Young People
Education Funding Agency

2. • Fewer 16-18
year olds by
2015
Wolf
RPA
• Substantial
programmes
• Free Schools • English and
maths
• Studio Schools
Apprenticeship
• UTCs
• 1 in 5

3. The vast majority of young people are participating…
1,016,900
(80.8%)
are in Full
Time
Education
63,800 (5.1%)
are in Work
Based Learning
96,200 (7.7%)
are in Training 20,100 (1.6%) 60,000 (4.8%)
are in Jobs are NEET
Without Training
Source: Statistical First Release, Participation in EET (June 2012)

4. Year 12 Learners who Undertook A-Level
Programmes in 2009/10
Dropped Out in Year 12 Finished Year 12, but did not progress to Year 13 Progressed to Year 13

5. % Drop out by GCSE English / Maths grade
30.0%
25.0%
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
SFC SSF / GFE A-Level SFC SSF / GFE A-Level
Academy Academy
English Maths
A* A B C D E

6. By raising attainment at age 16
 Increasing the number of Academies, Free Schools and University
Technical Colleges to provide greater flexibility.
 Introducing the English Baccalaureate to incentivise teaching of the
subjects that Higher Education and employers value.
 Addressing poor behaviour and attendance, which can get in the way
of young people achieving and progressing.
 Providing additional funding for disadvantaged pupils through the
Pupil Premium.
 Giving schools responsibility for ensuring their pupils receive high
quality impartial careers guidance.
 Publishing a Destination Measure to show the success of schools in
helping pupils to progress on to learning and work.

7. By supporting post-16 education and
training
 Spending a record £7.5 billion to fund education and training places
for young people aged 16-18.
 Supporting high quality Apprenticeship opportunities, spending
£833m to provide over 140,000 16-18 starts in 2012-13.
 Offering up to 40,000 incentives for small businesses to take on a
young apprentice.
 Spending £4.5 million over the next two years to support the delivery
of high quality work experience opportunities.
 Addressing financial barriers through the £180m 16-19 Bursary
Fund.

8. By increasing the quality of vocational
education
 Incentivising only the best vocational qualifications pre-16 by counting
these within the performance tables.
 Post-16, introducing new study programmes that will offer all 16-19
year olds:
– The opportunity to achieve at least one qualification of substantial
size.
– Work experience, where appropriate.
– English and maths for those who do not have a GCSE at grade C
or above.
 Study programmes will be in place from September 2013, together
with new funding arrangements per learner.

9. Engagement – reaching 100%
What is the offer to a young person not ready to learn?
 Youth Contract – additional support for 16/17 year olds – the black
box approach.
 Locally-led RPA delivery projects in 39 LA areas.
 European Social Fund programme – innovative and flexible.
 Funding for study programmes based on work experience – building
on existing Foundation Learning programme.

10. Raising the Participation Age Trials
 Barnsley* Ealing* Norfolk Berkshire sub-regional group
 East Riding Nottingham* Bexley East Sussex* Plymouth*
 Blackburn & Darwen* Essex* Portsmouth
 Brighton & Hove* Gateshead Rotherham
 Camden Hartlepool Staffordshire* Croydon Herefordshire Swindon*
County Durham Hertfordshire* Torbay
 Derby* Hounslow Wakefield Derbyshire Isle of Wight Wiltshire
 Devon Kingston-Upon-Thames Wirral
 Doncaster Leeds Worcestershire*
 Dorset* Medway* York*

11. Youth Contract
£126M in England over 3 years to provide additional support for
disengaged 16 -17 year olds to help them move into education,
training or employment with training
Focus - young people who:
 are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
 have low levels of attainment – no GCSEs at A*-C
 have a range of factors that put them at risk of long-term
disengagement.
Programme:
 unit cost of up to £2,200 per young person
 up to 12 months in length
 defined outcomes designed in line with RPA and with a focus on
sustained engagement in education and training.

12. Overview
 No prescribed delivery models - ‘black box’ but clearly defined
expected outcomes for young people and use of a Payment by
Results methodology to ensure a focus on achieving outcomes.
 The ‘black box’ approach allows providers to deliver individually
tailored packages of support to young people based on their
individual needs.
 Expectation of strong partnership working with local authorities to
ensure that right young people are engaged.
 12 Youth Contract areas across England: East Midlands; East of
England; West Midlands; North East; Yorkshire and Humber;
London North; London South; South West; Manchester and
Cheshire; Merseyside/Lancashire/Cumbria; South East A and South
East B.

13. Prime providers for the Youth Contract
for 16 and 17 year olds by area
Youth Contract Area Prime Provider
East Midlands Groundwork
East of England The Consultancy Home Counties Ltd
London North Prevista
London South Prevista
Manchester and Cheshire Groundwork
Merseyside/Lancashire/Cumbria Groundwork
North East Pertemps People Development Group Ltd
South East A Skills Training UK
South East B Skills Training UK
South West Prospects Training Services (Gloucester) Ltd
West Midlands Prospects Ltd
Yorkshire and Humber Prospects Ltd

14. Peter Mucklow
National Director for Young People
Education Funding Agency
peter.mucklow@education.gsi.gov.uk