From September, young people outside mainstream education who attend Alternative Provision establishmentswill benefit from more tailored work experience opportunities, after the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority secured £102,600 from The Careers & Enterprise Company in their Aspiring Pathways initiative.
The investment follows a year-long pilot of the equalex framework by the West of England Careers Hub,testing practical approaches to supporting young people excluded from mainstream education due to behavioural, medical, emotional or mental challenges. equalex was developed by The Careers & Enterprise Company and provides a common language so that each youngperson, teacher, and employer understands what progress looks like. This sets out a clear pathway of knowledge, skills, and experiences that support students’ career readiness and aspirations over time.
Research from the Department for Education highlights that two in five young people in AlternativeProvision fail to make positive progress after Year 11, compared with fewer than one in ten in mainstream education.
Working with schools and employers, the West of England’s Careers Hub has supported a graduated, trauma-informedapproach to work experience. This often starts with learners and employers interacting within the safety and familiarity of the school environment, helping to build confidence before moving into external work experiences.
Over 70 learners benefitted from meaningful work experience activities across sectors including engineering,law, construction and the creative industries from employers including Bowmer + Kirkland, the Centre for Modelling & Simulation (CFMS) and YTL. Learners have shown increased confidence and work readiness, feeling more prepared to identify suitable career pathways.
The pilot generated valuable knowledge that will now be embedded across all eight eligible AlternativeProvision settings in the region over the next academic year, with the new funding from The Careers & Enterprise Company empowering the Careers Hub and regional employers to create opportunities for more than 100 learners. The Alternative Provision establishmentsare:
- Snowdon Village (Barton Hill)
- Pathways Learning Centre (Downend)
- St Matthias Academy (Fishponds)
- Lansdown Park Academy (Stockwood)
- Voyage Learning Campus (Weston-super-Mare)
- Vinney Green Secure Children’s Home (Emersons Green)
- Bristol Hospital Education Service (Montpelier)
- North Star 265 (Sea Mills)
The news comes at a time when improving skills and opportunities for young people is high on the national agenda. In May, aninjection of £2 million into funding for youth skills in the West was made through a new Mayor’s Youth Support Fund. A new Skills Strategy setting out the region’s approach to creating a more joined up employment and skills system has also been approved by the Mayor and council leaders.
The Aspiring Pathways programme, delivered by The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is backed by£8.5 million of Department for Education funding. This programme will enable every state-funded Alternative Provision setting in England to provide meaningful work experience opportunities, helping students transition successfully into education, employmentor training.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
“To achieve our ambition to become the country’s first NEET Zero region, the West of England hasto also help the young people who are furthest from the labour market.
“The pilot year of equalex has shown how, with the right support and working with employers, moreyoung people in the West can unlock their potential despite the challenges they may be facing. We’re hopeful that this additional funding will make the programme even more successful over the next educational year.”
Baroness Nicky Morgan, Chair of The Careers & Enterprise Company, said:
“Too many young people in Alternative Provision face barriers to the experiences and connectionsthat can help shape their futures. Work experience is not a nice-to-have. It is one of the most powerful ways to build confidence, raise aspirations and help young people see a pathway into employment.
Through Aspiring Pathways, we are creating meaningful opportunities for young people to developskills, broaden horizons and take their best next step with confidence.”
Councillor Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council; Councillor Tony Dyer, DeputyMayor of the West of England and Leader of Bristol City Council; Councillor Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council; Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, and Councillor Ian Boulton, Co-Leader of South Gloucestershire Council,said in a joint statement:
“The equalex pilot has shown what’s possible when schools, employers and careers professionalswork together to help young people build the skills and confidence they need to succeed. With this additional funding, we’re delighted that even more learners in Alternative Provision across our region will now benefit.”
Announcing new educational pathways last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham also noted the value of strong early links between schools and employersto creating clear routes into employment for young people. Under this approach, regionalmayors will have more scope in the future to work with local leaders, schools, colleges and employers to shape education around the industries that are growing in their communities.
