This is a joint consultation between the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS) on the transfer of planning and funding responsibilities for 16-19 year olds from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to Local Authorities and proposals for reforming the post 19 skills landscape. The closing date is Monday 9th June 2008.
In June 2007, as part of the Machinery of Government change, we announced that funding for 16-18 participation would transfer to local authorities, subject to consultation and the necessary legislation. This gives local authorities clear responsibility for 14-19 provision, in line with their responsibility for commissioning children and young people’s services, and enables them to take decisions locally about how services can best be delivered for young people. Alongside the challenge to ensure that an appropriate and engaging learning opportunity is accessible to every 14-19 year-old, is a drive within the adult education and skills market towards a more dynamic, demand led approach.
This consultation paper proposes two new systems responding to these challenges and reflecting the different needs of young people and adults. In the system for young people, responsibility and accountability is given to local authorities, to deliver the right education and training provision for every young person in their area. The system for the adult sector is focused on establishing a market which rewards success and brings together education and skills in a high quality offer to respond to the needs of adults and employers.
The DIUS Press Release can be found here.
Government launches new Ten-Year Youth Strategy
The Government recently launched the new Ten-Year Youth Strategy. The strategy focuses on helping all young people, and particularly those in deprived areas, to take part in enjoyable and purposeful activities in their free time which can help them develop new skills and raise their aspirations. Young people will have access to new and improved youth facilities in every community under the new plans. Teenagers will also have more of a say over local services, and be given the support they need to have their voice heard.
Fresh help for Teenage Mothers, Young Fathers and their Children
The Government recently launched the new Teenage Parents Support Strategy. This aims to helping young families cope with the demands of parenthood and reach their full potential. This strategy is part of a long term goal to reduce teenage pregnancy, by breaking the cycle of disadvantage, but more immediately it aims to support teenage mothers and young fathers to use contraception effectively to prevent second pregnancies. To download the strategy please click on the link below.
Staying on in Education or Training to 18
Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, recently launched a young people's consultation on whether the education and training leaving age should be increased to 18.
The consultation aims to canvas young people's views about raising the school leaving age. A recent poll found that (90%) of respondents support the idea of staying in education or training until the age of 18 but the consultation launched today aims to gain a picture of young peoples' views in particular.
The government's proposals are set out for public consultation in the Green Paper, Raising Expectations, published on 22 March. The consultation period runs until 14 June and there is also a young people's version. For more details or to respond to the government's proposals please visit the DfES Consultation page.
