Foreword
The West Midlands has one of the highest proportion of NEET 16-24 year olds in the UK according to the latest government data, increasing 3.4% on the previous year.
The data for the proportion of NEET 16-24 year olds in various regions in England is as follows based on a 95% confidence interval, also noting the change in statistics since the end of 2021:
- North East: 17.2%, up 5.5pp
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 14.3%, up 3.4pp
- East of England: 13.8%, up 3.0pp
- West Midlands: 13.3%, up 3.4pp
- North West: 13.2%, up 3.5pp
- South East: 13.1%, up 3.4pp
- England: 12.3%, up 1.8pp
- East Midlands: 11.1%, down 0.3pp
- London: 9.8%, down 0.3pp
- South West: 7.8%, down 3.8pp
Spending a long time in this status can have long-lasting consequences, with a negative effect on future employment outcomes and earnings
as well as on physical and mental health. These can include difficult relationships, drug and substance abuse, involvement in criminal activities and social exclusion. (Cedefop)
Better careers education in schools and colleges will support an improvement to better transitional outcomes for young people post 16 and post 18, and when done well, can have a positive impact on attainment improving long term prospects of those young people. It is imperative that we provide inspiration to all young people but especially those who may be facing multiple barriers to accessing their next best steps.
Careers education across secondary schools and colleges in our region is much improved, by the summer of 2023 over 90% of students are now receiving interactions with employers from year 7 right through to year 13, 283 (98%) of institutions regularly complete the Compass audit measuring their progress against the Gatsby Benchmarks.
However there is much work to do, on average our schools and colleges fully achieve only 6.3 of the 8 benchmarks, 30% of our students do not have experiences of the workplace at all before leaving education at the age of 18, 30% do not learn about the local labour market and pathways into employment, further education or training and 14.5% of all of our students do not receive any form of personal careers guidance. And yet, we expect our young people to make important decisions regarding their next best steps.
The priorities of the West Midlands Combined Authority Careers Hubs are to raise quality, drive experiences with employers, boost skills pathways, tackle disadvantage, and connect careers to economic need.
There are a number of building blocks in place to achieve our aims:
- We will raise the quality of careers education by ensuring skills are developed within careers leadership teams and the careers curriculum will be overseen and improved by a national system of quality assurance and the Careers Hubs body.
- We will drive experiences with employers for students by implementing Teacher Encounters in the curriculum, as well as recognising what's required of the future workforce according to Employer Standards, and working with Cornerstone Employers to create opportunities for experience and tailor the curriculum.
- We will boost skills pathways by offering teacher training, opening doors to alternative routes post-16 with the ATE (Apprenticeships and Technical Education) Framework, and encouraging development through PAL (Peer Assisted Learning).
- We will tackle disadvantage by focussing our efforts on schools with the most FSM (Free School Meals) students, helping those who are trepidatious about their next steps by implementing Transition Interventions, and providing support in Careers Hubs for students with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and AP (Alternative Provision).
- We will connect careers to economic need by co-ordinating support to schools and colleges, and aligning Careers Hubs to local economic priorities.
Our vision is to work collaboratively with schools, colleges and employers to help every young person find their best next step.
Our mission can be broken down as follows:
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We aim for a careers education system that has a measurable impact on all young people - now and in the future.
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We aim to include all young people in careers education by removing barriers.
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We build leaders and institutions who can sustain the mission in the long term.
We believe that:
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Each young person should have access to good quality careers information advice and guidance prior to year 11 and again in 6th form or college.
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Every student should have access to multiple meaningful encounters with employers throughout their school life, starting in year 7.
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All students should gain experience of the workplace before year 11 and during 6th form or college.
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Schools and colleges should benefit from the support of local employers in their careers education programme and across the curriculum.
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Career leaders in schools and colleges should access support by the Careers Hub team.
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Schools and colleges should take a long term, whole school approach to careers education.
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Teachers and careers professionals need to understand the local labour market.
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Employers need to work closely with schools and colleges to plan their careers education.
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Students and parents need access to good quality LMI (Labour Market Information).
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Young people, parents, teachers and careers professionals need to be fully aware of all routes and pathways into apprenticeships, technical education, FE & HE and how to access them.
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Independent training providers, colleges and employers should support schools to meet the requirements of the Provider Access policy by providing meaningful encounters in Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and 6th form.
This plan is in place to support our:
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Strategic partners
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Employers
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Schools and colleges
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Independent Training Providers
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Local authorities
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Delivery partners
The Operating Plan for 2023 to 2025 can be summarised in four subsections.
Policy aims:
- We aim for a careers system that has a measurable impact on all young people.
- We will include all young people in careers education by removing barriers.
- We will support leaders to build careers education and a curriculum that prepares young people for the world of work now and in the future.
- We will enhance the employer role in careers education.
Objectives:
- Improve careers education in schools and colleges through training the education workforce, targeted support and quality assurance.
- Provide more high quality experiences with employers for students and teachers focussing on areas of need.
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Amplify apprenticeships, technical and vocational routes by supporting schools to implement the Provider Access legislation.
- Targeted interventions for economically disadvantaged young people and those who face barriers to progression.
- Connect careers provision in schools and colleges to the needs of local economies as articulated in local skills plans.
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Reduce the number of young people who become NEET at age 16-19 by 50%.
Activity:
- Support SLT (Senior Leadership Teams) in schools and colleges to develop careers and curriculum education that meets the needs of local employers and identifies early interventions needed to prevent young people becoming disengaged and at risk of becoming NEET in the future.
- Provide up-to-date local labour market information.
- Develop, manage and deliver a transitional partnership group for the West Midlands.
- Provide support to Cornerstone Employers to enhance their offer to reach the most vulnerable students.
- Increase the number of students receiving experiences of the workplace to 90%.
- Encourage employers to offer more training, employment and work experience opportunities for young people.
- Provide CPD (Continuing Professional Development) for teachers & careers professionals to increase their knowledge of the local labour market.
- Support schools and colleges to evaluate the impact of their careers education programmes in order to make continuous and sustained improvement.
- Implement a tracking tool that can be utilised to quickly identify and target action towards those disengaging post 16.
Outcomes:
- Improved engagement with head teachers, SLT, MATs and Link Governors – all West Midlands schools and colleges to be part of the Careers Hub.
- Improve the way we measure impact of careers education on young people.
- Levelling-up careers education to make opportunities available for all young people.
- Implement a ‘Youth Voice’ strategy in each Careers Hub.
- Create sustainable careers education programmes that develop skills for the future workforce.
- Ensure employers are fully integrated into our work.
- Fit for purpose LMI for all.
- Robust tracking of young peoples' destinations post 16.
- Early intervention for those at risk of being NEET.