New strategy to improve engagement with young people not in education, employment, or training

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Cabinet recently approved the Engagement and Progression Strategy which aims to reduce the number young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

The strategy sets out the Council’s arrangements and intentions to ensure young people positively and successfully advance into post-16 education, employment, or training.

This strategy has been developed collaboratively with all key stakeholders, based on the six key priorities outlined in Welsh Government’s Youth Engagement and Progression Framework guidance which aims to increase engagement and progression and reduce chances of young people becoming NEET.

The six priorities are to:

1. Identify young people most at risk of disengagement
2. Improve the brokerage and co-ordination of support
3. Improve the tracking systems which lead to more effective transition
4. Tailor provision to better meet the needs of young people
5. Strengthen employability skills and opportunities for employment
6. Ensure greater accountability for all stakeholders

By clearly developing activity in relation to these priorities, we will continue to reduce the number of young people who spend time outside of education, employment or training and the significant impact that this has on the quality of their future lives, health, well-being and self-esteem.

Caerphilly CBC’s approach is very much about fostering a positive approach towards our young people and, therefore, is focussed on taking all necessary actions to ensure their wellbeing – we know by experience that this approach is the best way to secure positive outcomes in any and all aspects of young people’s lives.

Cllr Ross Whiting, Cabinet member for Education said

“Young people who find themselves not in education, employment or training between the ages of 16 and 18 are much more likely to be unemployed in the future, receive low income, suffer from poor physical and mental health, depression and possibly find themselves involved in crime.

It is vital that we work in partnership in delivering the aims of this strategy to maximise the contribution that all young people can make to their families, communities and the economy of the county borough and the country now and into the future.”