Creating Clearer Routes into Skilled Work

The latest figures show that 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 are not in education, employment or training. The number has fallen below one million, but it is still higher than it was a year ago.

There is no shortage of ideas for tackling the problem. Major retailers are offering work placements, AI bootcamps are being trialled and the government has committed to creating more apprenticeships.

These initiatives can help young people take an important first step. The challenge is making sure that first step leads to further learning, an apprenticeship or lasting employment.

If a placement or short course ends without a recognised achievement, useful evidence or a clear route forward, there is a risk that the young person ends up back where they started.

Different people need different routes

The term NEET covers a wide range of people and circumstances.

Some young people may be ready to begin an apprenticeship straight away. Others may need to develop their English, maths or digital skills first. Some will need help rebuilding their confidence or understanding what employers expect in the workplace.

There can’t be one route for everyone. What matters is that each route has a purpose and connects to a realistic next step.

Qualifications, apprenticeships and shorter courses should be designed with the workplace in mind. That includes technical knowledge, but also communication, reliability, problem-solving and the confidence to ask for help when it is needed.

Giving somebody their first opportunity is important, but they also need to know where it could lead and what they need to do next.

Employers have a part to play in shaping this. The closer the relationship between employers and training providers, the easier it is to make sure learning reflects real roles and changing industry needs.

This will be particularly important in construction. Skills England estimates that around one million additional and replacement workers could be needed across 30 priority occupations by 2035. The sector needs to attract new people, but it also needs to prepare them properly and give them reasons to stay.

Keeping a record of progress

Young people can build skills through several different routes. They might complete a short course, move into an apprenticeship and then gain further experience with an employer.

The problem is that the evidence can end up in several different places. Certificates may be held by a provider, workplace evidence by an employer and other achievements by the individual.

A portable skills passport could bring that information together and give someone a record that grows as they do. It could also help employers understand what a new entrant has already achieved and where they may need more support.

It is not a replacement for good training, guidance or employer involvement. It is a way of making sure progress is not lost or overlooked.

Getting a young person onto a course or placement is a positive start. The bigger goal is helping them build the skills, confidence and evidence they need to keep going.

By Tammy Leipacher, National Account Manager, NOCN Group