The Department for Education commissioned Learning and Work Institute to undertake a review to collate and synthesise the range of evidence on challenging education, employment and training disengagement and inactivity amongst young people aged 15-24. The Government has committed to providing effective early intervention for young people at-risk…

Presents a guide for employers as to how they can support young care leavers to gain the skills, experience and confidence they need to gain, stay and progress in work. Describes the challenges faced by care leavers and why employers should support them into work. Outlines the positive aspects for businesses such as creating a diverse workforce,…

This paper draws on research into the experiences of young people classified as NEET (not in education, employment or training) on an employability programme in the north of England, and uses Basil Bernstein's work on pedagogic discourses to explore how the creative arts can be used to re-engage them in work-related learning. Whilst creating…

This article describes an action research project carried out in North West England that aimed to assist Children's Services Departments and Care Trusts in developing their strategies for supporting care leavers into employment and training. The study found a range of models and approaches that can be utilised to develop local and regional…

UK Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are seen as critical to policymakers' aspirations to develop an education and training (E&T) system that is both "demand-driven" and "employer-led" and where employers "play their part" in national upskilling. However, the concept of employer leadership remains deeply problematic…

This paper discusses the findings from a one-year ethnographic study of young people attending Entry to Employment (E2E) programmes in two local authorities in the north of England. The paper locates E2E within the broader context of provision for low-achieving young people and of UK government policy on reducing the proportion of young people who…

A key factor in the successful development of workplace learning is employer engagement (Leitch, 2006; DfES, 2007). However, despite numerous approaches by government in the United Kingdom to bring together employers, providers and learners so that economic success is generated by a skilled and flexible workforce, there continue to be challenges…

Although British government initiatives are focusing on education and training for young adults, many have become disaffected and need to be persuaded that investment of time and money will pay off. A variety of motivational incentives designed to bring some stability to their lives is necessary to make them lifelong learners. (SK)

Analyzes Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) within the historical context of national and local training initiatives in England and Wales. Concludes that decreasing public financing means that the quality and availability of training will depend on where one lives. In less affluent areas, TECs will be unable to affect the local economy,…

This article describes the Milton Keynes Home-School Link project, which provides home instruction for parents with preschoolers. Funded by the Manpower Services Commission, the project provides short-term employment for out-of-work teachers, who serve as home visitors, and unemployed young people, who act as aides. (SJL)

In recent years, numerous American companies have extended parental leave in order to retain employees and comply with state-imposed mandates. In England, several companies have created the career break, which is a period in which the employee works part-time or takes a complete break from working, typically to raise a family, before resuming his…

This guide, which was originally developed to help employers in selecting youth for Britain's Youth Training Scheme programs, can also serve as a guide to recruiting and selecting potential employees who have very little work experience. The following topics are covered: deciding which young people the business needs, attracting suitable…

Focus of this speech is on the challenges of providing employment related education and training for young people in England. After briefly outlining the British education system, the author discusses recent and proposed changes designed to help young people (particularly the unemployed, terminal degree student, or those who are working and…

A survey and group interviews with unemployed young people aged 18-25 in Derby (England), Hannover (western Germany), and Leipzig (eastern Germany) examined the relative importance to their life and work transitions of individual agency and structural factors. Two national job training "schemes" for unemployed youth are compared: the…

This book contains proceedings from a conference, held in Dublin, Ireland, on employment of prisoners and ex-offenders, including opening and closing addresses, papers from plenary sessions and summaries from panel sessions and workshops. The opening address, given by John O'Donoghue, is followed by "Including Prisoners and Ex-Offenders in…