Thursday June 25th 2009, Victoria Park Plaza, London, 08:45 - 15:30

Looking for a NEET Solution: Tackling the Problem of those 'Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)'

“The message we want to give to young people is that they are expected to work for their money. Many young people have never experienced the world of work and this often works against them when looking for employment. We want to break down the barriers that young people often face. Everyone has a talent, something to offer their community, by making work part of the deal for getting their benefits we can help them realise their potential.”

James Purnell, Former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, February 2009

Overview

At a time that Welfare Reform remains high on the Government’s agenda, a growing number of young people in Britain face the prospect of being left behind. The problem of the “NEET” generation (young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training) threatens to undermine the Government at a time of economic downturn and the launch of a number of new welfare reforms. This lost generation has grown by 15% since 1997 and any failure to address them could undermine social cohesion, damage the economy and place extra pressure on the exchequer. A Prince’s Trust report (April 2007) estimated the cost to the country at £3.6bn a year.

In February last year, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell, announced that out-of-work 18-year-olds will have to undertake at least four weeks of full time work or face losing their benefits. From this April, every young person who has not been in employment, education or training for at least 26 weeks by their 18th birthday will be fast tracked to the intensive, Jobcentre Plus led, support and sanctions regime.

They will have to prove that they are actively looking for work and engaging in work related activity - if they don’t their benefits will be stopped. If they fail to find work during the next six months, they will be referred to a specialist provider from the voluntary or private sector, who will ensure that they undertake a minimum of four weeks full time work-related activity relevant to the individual.

Agenda

As the Government attempts to build a society where each individual is given the best possible opportunity to succeed, this event will offer a timely opportunity to address the key issues in giving young people the support they need to continue in learning and preventing them from falling into the NEET group.

08:45	Registration and Coffee
09:25	Chair’s Welcome Address Roy Blatchford, Founding Director, National Education Trust (NET) and former HM Inspector of Schools
09:30	Delivering a NEET Solution The scale of the challenge A NEET solution? What has been achieved to date? A NEET strategy: a coordinated, integrated, multi-agency approach with a focus on: Excluded youths Young people with mental health conditions Youths aged 11-18 from BAME communities Teenage mothers Youths and young adults in offender institutions Young people at risk in hard-to-reach groups Young people with a drug, substance or alcohol addiction Nick Donlevy, Head of 14-19 Targets Unit, Participation and Progression Division, Young People's Participation and Attainment Group, Department for Children, Schools and Families
09:50	LSC: Working in Partnership to Drive Down the Number Who are NEET Successes to date An approach which focuses on addressing the barriers faced by certain groups of hard to reach young people Identifying and building on existing good practice Dr Beverley Burgess, Director, Young People's Partnership and Infrastructure, Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
10:10	Aiming Higher Through Learning, Skills and Training: University of Bedfordshire Strengthening the local economy: University of Bedfordshire, working with employer organisations and local communities to improve employability Supporting local communities: widening non-traditional pathways into higher education Fostering a culture of achievement and learning by through extensive outreach/in-reach work Policy, implementation and practice: key success factors to increase learning and raise aspirations: Strengthening partnerships to realise the ambitions of young people Older NEET's: understanding our commitment to lifelong learning and training Working with employers to meet the divergent needs of NEET communities 2010 and beyond: the key challenges ahead Professor Les Ebdon CBE, Vice-Chancellor, University of Bedfordshire, and Chair, Million+
10:30	Questions and Answers Session
10:55	Coffee Break and Networking
11:20	A NEET Strategy: Supporting Marginalised Young People Engaging with young people: what do young people tell us they want? Supporting young people and their families to reach their goals Service design, planning and provision: placing young people who are NEET at the centre of service creation Coordinated and coherent strategy to raise attainment and aspirations: lessons from the UK, Europe and US Fiona Blacke, CEO, The National Youth Agency
11:50	Towards a NEET Solution The UK: worst in Europe for number of young people who are NEET Tackling the causes of disengagement among young people: understanding the many and varied underlying causes and circumstances Towards a NEET solution: Organisations must work together: strategic, integrated, joint-working solutions to provide tailored support services for young people Working with local employers to provide skills training and employment opportunities for young people Encourage innovative, tailored NEET solutions through open, fair, and more rigorously inspected commissioning process Help to rebuild local economies and sustainable communities through apprenticeships schemes Welfare reform: listen to the voice of young people Susan Anderson, Director of Public Services, Confederation of British Industry
12:00	Tackling the NEET Generation The vision for tackling the NEET generation: The vision for tackling the NEET generation: Key policy proposals and spending commitments Resource reallocation: reorganising the national, learning, training and skills landscape What role would employers play? An enhanced role for parents and carers Carrots and sticks: what sanctions and incentives would be considered to persuade the NEET generation into education or training? John Hayes MP, Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education
12:20	Questions and Answers Session
12:45	Lunch and Networking
13:45	Case Study: Successful Partnership Working to Reduce NEET Rates in Bradford Flexible multiple entry point FE curriculum delivery to meet the needs of young people at risk of becoming NEET Targeted support for young people to promote higher retention and success rates Results and recommendations Chris Roberts, Assistant Director, Young People, Bradford College
14:10	City Gateway – A NEET Way Forward for Young People in Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets: key figures Rebuilding confidence through positive actions outreach work youth inclusion project Improving employability and skills pathways to learning and education apprenticeships Eddie Stride, Chief Executive, City Gateway
14:30	Finding a NEET Solution Why are young people NEET – who are they? Is it the institution or the individual? How do we reach and engage NEET Young people successfully – what works? Young people who are NEET: what do they want? Finding a NEET solution what should the government do? Is the issue numbers, or is it sustainability? Paul Fletcher, Director for Youth Engagement, Rathbone
14:50	Questions and Answers Session
15:25	Chairs Summary and Conclusions
15:30	Close

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

Delegates will be drawn from all sectors of the education and children services community, education practitioners, local education authorities, social inclusion officers, central government departments & bodies, teaching unions, academia, welfare groups and the voluntary sector.

STePS Search a unique pan Government search and retrieval tool: