1. Overcoming unemployment among young people Becci Newton, Principal Research Fellow Lessons from the evaluation of the Youth Contract for 16-17 year olds

2. Agenda: part one  Causes and implications of being NEET at a young age  Trends in rates of NEET for 16-18 year olds  Policy responses over time including the Youth Contract  The Youth Contract for 16-17 year olds  Evaluation findings  Lessons

3. Causes and implications of being NEET at a young age  Social disadvantage and vulnerability make NEET more likely  But young people attribute NEET to problematic authority structures and sense of failure  Social disadvantages and vulnerabilities more likely as a result of being NEET  NEET is a persistent status  Being NEET scars – there are lifetime social and economic costs  There are significant costs to the public purse stemming from NEET

4. What are the trends? 25,900 39,900 82,300

5. What have been the responses? ● 14-19 Opportunities and Excellence (2005) ● IAG Schools Commissioning (2011-12) ● Connexions Service replaced by NCS (2012) ● Youth Contract (2012) ● RPA starts (2013- 15) ● Introduction of Traineeships (2013) ● National roll-out of EMA (2000) ● Connexions Service (2000) ● Schools White Paper confirms RPA (2010) ● ALA Pilots (2005-10) ● E2L Pilot (2009-10) ● EMA replaced by 16-19 Bursaries (2011) ● Connexions Service re-engineered (2005---) Change of government ● Learning to Succeed (1999) ● Building Engagement, Building Futures (2011) ● Education and Skills Act – RPA (2008)

6. The Youth Contract  DWP: 18-24 year old claimants - early access to NCS & additional IAG, SBWA, work experience, wage subsidies (£2,200)  BIS: 16-24 year olds – Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (£1,500)  DfE: low skilled &/ disadvantaged 16-17 year olds NEET – intensive support to re- engage and participate

7. Youth Contract 16-17 year olds  Black box delivery via two models: National via prime provides and supply chains using PbR weighted on sustained participation meeting RPA duties; tight eligibility Local solutions devised by City Deal areas with less restrictive eligibility; some use of PbR  National YC available to young people NEET aged 16-17 years who Initially had no GCSE A*-C then extended to Up to 2 GCSEs A*-C &/ Care leavers and young offenders (initially institution leavers later widened)

8. Results  Participants had long histories of under- performance and challenges in education  Youth Contract assisted many to initially re- engage through bite-size provision (PDOs); for many this was a pre-cursor to formal learning  Overall, 1.8 ppt reduction on national NEET rate  12 ppt increase in participation nationally  33% nationally in RPA-compliant learning  Net benefit of £12,900 arising from each sustained re-engagement under national model

9. Lessons (1)  Lack of reliable data on eligibility  Identifying eligible young people challenging, relied on LA engagement  Inside the Black Box consistent picture of delivery centred on Key Worker support  PbR did not recognise the work that went into achieving & sustaining participation

10. Lessons (2)  Key Worker model can support young people in different situations Risk of NEET: mentoring; support to choose, apply and attend post-16 provision NEET after post-16 EET: building trust and confidence, mapping opportunities Entrenched NEET: small-step progression; intensive, holistic support; treated as an adult; trust and rapport  Post-16 provision appears sufficient