Increasing Participation: Understanding Young People who do not Participate in Education or Training at 16 and 17
Research undertaken for the Department for Children Schools and Families suggests that in order to increase participation in education, young people need better information, advice and guidance before leaving learning to increase their awareness of the learning options available to them and enable them to make more informed choices.
The study also identified a need for more flexible and appropriate post-16 provision suitable for all young people aged 16 and 17 in terms of content, delivery and timing.
Young people and professionals who work with young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) identified a variety of ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors which led school-leavers to choose a job without training (JWT) at 16. The main push factors were negative experiences of schooling, low self-confidence and lack of opportunities for workbased learning.
The evidence shows that, in order for young people to re-engage and for the policy of raising the participation age in education to 18 to be a success, there is a need for provision to be appropriate in terms of content, delivery and timing.
A copy of this report can be read here.