Responding to the ‘needs’ of young people in jobs without training (JWT): some policy suggestions and recommendations

Abstract

In this paper we draw upon our findings from a project in the South West region of England. The research involved a collaboration between a group of university researchers and Connexions service personal advisers and mainly comprised interviews with young people, who were in ‘jobs without training’ (JWT). A key aim of the research was to explore the experiences of this group of marginalised and socially disadvantaged young people over a period of 1 year, as they moved into and out of work. In this paper we address the main findings and questions raised by the research. We challenge some commonly held assumptions about young people in JWT and their perceived needs. We end with a number of policy and practice-related suggestions and recommendations.

Keywords:

• NEET
• transition
• unemployment
• young adulthood

Notes

1. The Qualification and Credit Framework is a formal system of accreditation that enables qualifications to be referenced against one another. Qualifications range from those at entry level through level-2 (GCSE) for young people aged 16, to level-3 (A-level; NVQ 3) qualifications, to degree level and postgraduate qualifications.

2. The plan to raise the participation age to 18 has met with a mixed response from the public, media commentators and national organisations, with some supporting the proposal (LSC 2007) and others such as the British Youth Council (2007) voicing disquiet about the threat of legally enforced compulsion. At the time of writing there are no plans to raise the participation age in Scotland.

3. The new Diplomas are the latest attempt to bridge the divide between academic and vocational education by providing the same formalised qualification structure for all young people. As long as A-levels (academic exams for young people aged 18) are in situ it is likely that the academic route will be privileged, attracting more status than their vocational (NVQ) equivalents.