The Scottish Government

Back to Contents Page

Implementing Inclusiveness Realising Potential

"I can't read or spell properly - how can I fill in forms?
I could go a lot further if I got some help"
young person in focus group

"I don't want to be another wasted life - I want to achieve something with my life"
young person in focus group

"One day I realised that I had no qualifications and that I was going to have a very tough time"
(Lizzie, 18 years)

3 Profile of the Young People

Introduction

3.1 Our key recommendation is that Inclusiveness should be the underpinning principle for all post-school learning and support. Inclusiveness places the young person at the heart of provision. It was, therefore, important that our first question was "Who are the Young People?"

3.2 The focus of the Committee's considerations has been young people in the post-school period, approximately in the age range 16-24. In the course of our consultation exercises and evidence-taking, we have also received a range of views about the problems and difficulties experienced by some young people in the years leading up to school leaving age. Among young people making the transition from school to post-school learning or employment, and in the succeeding period, there is a wide range of diverse and complex needs. In this chapter we set out some of the key information which demonstrates the diversity and illustrates the potential benefits of an Inclusiveness approach designed to recognise, understand and meet the needs, abilities and aspirations of the young people. Illustrative case studies are given to highlight the difficulties which the young people have in making transitions and ways in which these can be overcome. The real names of the young people have not been used.

Sources of Information

3.3 The members of the Committee brought with them a wide body of knowledge and experience from the fields of guidance, education and training, the voluntary sector and business. We also reviewed published data and existing research; commissioned a focus group study; and conducted an extensive consultation exercise. Video and tape-recorded evidence was also presented at the Committee's Evidence Day.

3.4 For the Committee, the most telling evidence about "who are the young people" comes from the young people themselves. In the Focus Group Study, discussions were held with a wide range of young people, some with physical disabilities, learning difficulties and/or disabilities or mental health problems, and others who had experienced emotional and social difficulties. Many were disadvantaged in multiple ways. The discussion focused on the young people's needs, aspirations and goals. The study found that the young people, despite their varying difficulties, shared a similar outlook on life. They want to participate in society and, for most, "employment" is the key to realising this aim.

Transitions

3.5 The Committee was broadly concerned with young people between the age range of 16-24 who may experience difficulties in making the transition to post-school education, training and employment. The first transition may come when young people complete compulsory education, or when they reach 18 years old (in the case of those in special education). We recognise that for others the transition may come, in reality, before 16 years if young people stop attending school or are excluded.

3.6 For most young people, preparation for transition will start several years before they reach school-leaving age. Preparation will include careers education, work experience and other education/business activities, and discussions with teachers, careers advisers, and parents. Some young people will require an extensive period of transition and on-going support. We are aware of others who, on leaving school, will experience multiple transitions in a relatively short space of time. This may be due to personal circumstances or because they find it difficult to sustain a further education or training place or job. It is also important to recognise that young people mature at different rates and some may experience prolonged transition periods. Baldwin, Coles and Mitchell (1997) stress that young people with disabilities and/or learning difficulties may experience prolonged transition and exclusion whereas young people looked after by local authorities tend to experience accelerated and unstable transitions.

3.7 Different transition routes for young people have been highlighted in research into provision and assessment for special training needs by Ward et al (1998). They studied two populations of young people and found that they experienced different transition routes. These related to the extent to which each of the groups of young people would have experienced systematic and continuing assessment procedures. The two populations were:

• a cohort of 469 trainees in vocational training;
• a cohort of 123 college extension course students from the researchers' previous work.

3.8 Three different constituencies were represented in the total cohort: two groups which experienced relatively stable transitions; and one whose post school experience was more transient.

• Young people who left school to pursue college extension courses prior to training. They tended to have mild to moderate learning difficulties, a Record of Needs and had undergone extensive assessment.
• School leavers who entered training and remained with the same training provider.
• Young people, who experienced transient and mainly unsuccessful periods in vocational training or employment, followed by periods of unemployment. They were more likely to leave training early.

A Range of Individual Needs

3.9 The young people with whom we are concerned are likely to require more than one type of support and their needs may change over time. In some cases this will be because their circumstances have changed. In other cases, it may be because they have progressed in their current setting but require different kinds of support to make the transition to the next stage. Where young people are not in regular contact with statutory agencies or have "fallen out of the system" little information will be available on their needs.

3.10 Young people may require additional support as a result of their lack of qualifications; circumstances; personal characteristics and attitudes; disabilities or health difficulties; or social, emotional or behavioural problems. Many young people will have a combination of needs for which they will require extra support.

3.11 Some young people may share some characteristics and experience similar circumstances. For example, many young people with disabilities or young people who have been looked after can find themselves among the long-term unemployed, the homeless and the socially isolated (Baldwin, Coles and Mitchell 1997). However, the social processes which they go through may be very different.

The following sections illustrate the range of circumstances and needs of young people.

Qualifications and Participation in Post-School Education and Training

3.12 There has been a major increase in the numbers of young people staying on at school, entering further or higher education or work based training opportunities. In 1996-97 there were approximately 190 000 16-18 year olds in Scotland of whom 86.8% were in some form of full-time or part-time education. This compares with a figure of 54.6% in 1986-87.

Table 1 shows the significant increase in the number of 16 and 17 years olds who remain at school.

Table 1

3.13 The proportion of young people leaving school with no Standard Grade qualifications has also decreased from 19.3% to 6.5% over a ten year period. However, around 40% of school leavers have not achieved a qualification at ASCETT level 2, broadly equivalent to 5 Standard Grades (1-3), SVQ Level 2 or 5 intermediate Levels above intermediate 1 Grade C. 83% of pupils who leave school in the winter of S5 or before have not achieved a Level II qualification.

The following table shows school leavers by their highest SCE qualification held.

Table 2

3.15 Table 3 gives an estimate of the qualifications of young people 18-24 joining the New Deal. This information is collected at UK level from clients at interview and is based on a sample of about 50%. 3715 young people reported having no qualifications and 2725, qualifications at NVQ/SVQ Level I or below. 4172 had some other qualifications. Those young people entering the New Deal at more than 6 months unemployment tend to have fewer qualifications.

Qualifications on entry of those joining 18-24 New Deal to February 1999 (UK level)

Table 3

3.16 The main routes of education and training chosen by 16-21 year olds between 1992 and 1997 are shown in Table 4. The majority of young people in 1996-97 were in higher or further education or were still at school.

Table 4

(4th: Statistical Bulletin: Participation in Education by 16-21 year olds in Scotland 1986-87 to 1996-97. Except for the Skillseekers data which was collated separately. There may be some overlap between Skillseekers and further education.)

Young People Not in Post-School Education and Training

3.17 There is a group of young people who leave school with few or no qualifications and do not enter education or training. Many of these young people will enter a cycle of short term, low paid, low skill jobs, and unemployment. It is difficult to obtain an exact figure for the numbers of young people who are not participating in education, training and employment as many "disappear" from the system. The Scottish Executive estimates that around 6000 - 8000 16 and 17 year olds may not be in any form of education, training or employment. The number may be almost double if 18 year olds are included.

3.18 Young people not participating in any type of post-school education and training are not a homogeneous group. However, evidence from the House of Commons, Education and Employment Committee indicates that there is significant over-representation among this group of:

• males;
• children who have been looked after by local authorities;
• young offenders;
• those from difficult and disrupted family backgrounds;
• young people lacking self-confidence and self-esteem;
• those with few "basic skills";
• those with emotional and behavioural problems;
• those with a high prevalence of risk-taking behaviour, e.g. smoking, substance abuse.

3.19 Young people not in any form of education, training or employment are at risk of social exclusion. This has effects on society as well as the individual.

3.20 Anecdotal evidence suggests that more young males are disaffected from education, training and the labour market or have "disappeared" from the system. More young males leave school with lower qualifications. In 1993, 22% of males left school with no Standard Grades at 1-3, compared with 17% of females. Preliminary results of analysis of the Scottish School Leavers Survey by Edinburgh University shows that young males with low attainment (no Standard Grades at grades 1 -3) move in and out of training and employment on leaving school. By the age of 19 over half are in employment with a small number in training and just over a quarter unemployed. However, although more low attaining females are in employment shortly after leaving school (40%) and 28% are unemployed, they are likely to move out of employment either entering training or becoming unemployed. By the age of 19 only a third are in full-time employment and 43% are unemployed, 14% were doing something else; the majority of these had parental responsibilities.

3.21 There is a number of young people whose circumstances, regardless of their abilities, may make it difficult for them to participate in post-school education, training or employment. These circumstances may be due to a short-term crisis, e.g. temporarily homeless or they may be longer term.