Connexions is the Government's support service for all young people aged 13 to 19 in England. It ensures that young people have the support needed to help them make a smooth transition to adulthood and to working life. Government Offices currently monitor the Connexions Service to ensure it delivers effectively.
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Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber works to ensure the effective delivery of the Connexions Service and related programmes in our region.
Within the universal service, Connexions has a key target to reduce the number of 16-18 year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The service is differentiated according to need, providing one to one support for those young people at risk of exclusion or not realising their full potential. For some young people this may be just for careers advice, for others it may involve some more in-depth support to help identify barriers to learning and find solutions brokering access to more specialist support. Personal advisers work in a range of settings such as schools, colleges, one-stop shops, community centres and on an out-reach basis.
In Yorkshire and The Humber there are four Connexions Partnerships each covering a number of local authority areas. The Partnerships are run by a Chief Executive, reporting to a management board which includes representatives from Local Authorities, schools colleges, voluntary & community sector, youth service, careers companies, Learning & Skills Councils, health services and local police. Connexions staff in Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber (GOYH) support and facilitate the development of Connexions Partnerships and monitor their performance against their Business Plans and agreed targets.
This work includes:
Contract and performance management of the regions four Partnerships on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills
Ensure data and management information is submitted by Partnerships on time
Facilitate links with all key partners to contribute to the Connexions agenda
Organising the sharing of information, experiences and good practice across the region
Connexions Transition in Yorkshire & The Humber
The responsibility for delivering the Connexions service is being transferred from the regions Connexions Partnerships to local authorities, under their Local Area Agreement / Childrens Trust. This transfer will be completed by April 2008 for three of our Connexions Partnerships.
GOYH staff are working with Connexions staff and those from local authorities to help plan and support the transition process. This includes the administration of the two Transition Support Funds which seek to ensure that frontline services for young people are improved in scope and quality both during and after transition.
The budget for the Connexions service in Yorkshire and The Humber is £48,493,051.
The four Connexions Partnerships in Yorkshire and The Humber can be found below:
