Opportunities and Choices :3

Opportunities and Choices

2... SETTING THE SCENE

The Background

2.1 Over the last 10 years we have seen a major increase in the numbers of young people staying on at school, going into further or higher education or taking up work based training opportunities.

2.2 In 1996-97 the population of 16-18 year olds in Scotland was 191,086 of whom 74.9% were in some form of full-time or part-time education. This figure compares with 54.6% in 1986-87. There has been a significant increase in the number of 16 and 17 year olds who remain at school and this is shown in the table below.

	16 year old	17 year old
1986-87	50.5%	22.7%
1996-97	66.7%	40.5%

During the same period the proportion of young people leaving school with no Standard Grade qualifications has fallen from 19.3% to 6.5%.

2.3 Some 40% of school leavers have not achieved a qualification at ASCETT Level II, broadly equivalent to 5 Standard Grades (13), SVQ Level II or GSVQ Level II. It should be noted that 83% of pupils who leave school in the winter of S5 or before have not achieved a Level II qualification. On average, although 4.4% of school leavers in S6 have not achieved any SCE qualifications, pupils who stay on longer at school leave with better qualifications.

2.4 There has been an increase in the proportion of 16-18 year olds pursuing full-time non-advanced further education, from 5.7% in 1986-87 to 9.3% in 1996-97. There has been a decrease in those in part-time non-advanced further education, from 15.9% in 1986-87 to 13.1% in 1996-97. [The source of this data is the Statistical Bulletin: Participation in Education by 16-21 year olds in Scotland: 1986-87 to 1996-97.] The following table shows school leavers by their highest SCE qualification held

School leavers by highest SCE qualification held

Percentage of Leavers

Academic Year	Total	Highest SCE Qualification held
		None(1)	Standard Grades				Higher Grades
			@4-7(2)	@ 1-3(3)			@A-C
			@4-7(2)	1 or 2	3 or 4	5+	1 or 2	3 or 4	5+
1986-87	*100*	19.3	12.7	16.9	9.7	8.0	12.0	10.5	11.0
1993-94	*100*	8.8	14.3	15.0	8.9	8.9	14.2	11.8	18.1
1994-95	*100*	7.9	13.4	15.2	9.6	10.5	14.0	12.3	17.0
1995-96	*100*	7.2	13.4	14.9	9.9	11.2	13.7	12.3	17.3
1996-97	*100*	6.5	12.8	14.6	9.9	12.1	13.7	12.8	17.

(1) No SCE qualifications, or none found during the matching process.

(2) Including O Grades @ D-E/4-5.

(3) Including O Grades @ A-C/1-3.

2.5 The major routes of education and training chosen by 16-18 year olds between 1992 and 1997 are illustrated in the following graph. The source of data was the Statistical Bulletin: Participation in Education by 16-21 year olds in Scotland: 1986-97 to 1996-97, except for the Skillseekers data, which was collected in a separate exercise. There will be some overlap of participation between Skillseekers and FE.

Participation in Education and Training by 16 to 18 Year Olds in Scotland

Percentage of the total 16-18 population

	1986-87	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97
School	24.7	34.4	35.3	37.1	37.7
Full Time FE	5.7	6.9	7.8	8.0	9.3
Part Time FE	15.9	11.1	8.7	12.4	13.1
Full Time HE	7.0	13.3	13.4	13.1	14.2
Part Time HE	1.3	1.3	1.1	1.1	1.1
Skillseekers	N/A	11.6	11.3	9.3	11.4
Total	54.6	78.4	77.6	80.0	86.8

The Focus

2.6 The overall trend, both in participation and attainment, is a positive one but the significant increases have occurred in the numbers staying on at school in 5th and 6th year and in the numbers entering higher education. The focus of this consultation exercise is on the 16-18 year olds whose routes are further education or training where Scotland performs more poorly than other parts of the UK and Europe - [DfEE Cabinet Office 1996; Eurostat 1996; HMI 1999.]

2.7 This is not a single, homogeneous group of young people. Rather, they have a whole range of different abilities, aptitudes and needs. For the purpose of this paper, 3 broad groupings of young people have been identified:

Those who have achieved passes at Standard or Higher Grade but have the potential to improve their level of qualifications and future employability through appropriate further education or training.
The 40% who have not achieved a qualification at the ASCETT Level II by the time they leave school. When this figure is set beside the 20% of the 19 year old population who have not achieved that target, it points to a problem of underachievement.
The group of young people who leave school with few or no qualifications and reject any form of further education or training. For many of this group the prospects are a cycle of short-term, low paid jobs, unemployment and poverty. There may be around 6-8,000 young people aged 16 and 17 not in education, training and employment. The number may be almost double if 18 year olds are included. They are at risk of social exclusion with all the consequences that brings for them and the rest of society.

2.8 Preliminary results from an analysis of Scottish School Leavers survey data relating to low attaining school leavers carried out by the Centre for Educational Sociology in Edinburgh on behalf of SOEID offer further insight into the patterns of transitions made by some young people. The majority of young people with low education attainment leave school at the minimum age and the post-school period can be characterised for them by a number of false starts in further education and training and periods of unemployment.

The Challenge

2.9 There will be no single solution to overcoming the problems of underachievement and non-participation. It seems that existing provision is not fully meeting these needs. The challenge for Government and all the agencies involved in post-school provision - Careers Service, FE, LECs, training providers, local authorities, the voluntary sector - is to ensure that the guidance system, further education and training provision meets the different learning needs of the young people.

2.10 This consultation paper explores the options for increasing the opportunities and choices available to 16-18 year olds. It looks at:

the needs of young people who may have achieved a Level II equivalent qualification and, with the right level of encouragement and support, may progress to a Level III qualification; and
the needs of those who could build on existing qualifications to achieve a Level II qualification.

2.11 The paper also touches on issues related to those who face real barriers to entering FE or training because of previous low attainment, social circumstances or behavioural problems but does not discuss these issues in depth since that is the subject of the Beattie Committee which will report in June.

2.12 This consultation paper is a starting point. It will, however, be for the Scottish Executive to take decisions on the way forward in this area of post-school education and training, and on how to increase participation and attainment. Responses to this consultation will, of course, be made available to the Executive.

The Current Position

2.13 For young people who have completed their compulsory schooling and who are not going on to higher education or staying in school there are 2 main routes:

Skillseekers: Work-based training through the Skillseekers programme which funds 16 and 17 year olds to pursue a qualification at SVQ Level II or III, or to take up a Modern Apprenticeship. There are now 38,500 Skillseekers (including Modern Apprentices). Over 70% of all Skillseekers have employed status i.e. while training. Modern Apprenticeships deliver training to craft, technician or supervisory level through an industry designed framework. In addition to SVQ Level III, which is the core qualification, the framework includes core skills and in some cases, other industry-related qualifications. There are now 67 MA frameworks and 10,040 Modern Apprentices. Among Modern Apprentices, the employed status is nearly 95%. The Skillseekers programme also funds provision for young people who have special training needs (STN). The majority of the STN group have problems with literacy and numeracy, have a low level of qualification and may have social, emotional or behavioural problems. STN provision includes training towards a SVQ Level I and pre-vocational training for those with lowest level of basic job skills and life skills. Currently, the number of young people who have physical or learning disabilities on Skillseekers is quite small, probably less than 5% of the total Skillseekers population.

Further Education: Further education offers students a wide choice and flexibility for study on a day release, evening, block release,full-time or, in some cases, open learning basis. Colleges will often design programmes jointly with local employers to suit their particular requirements. Students may study: individual National Certificate modules or clusters of modules, General Scottish Vocational Qualifications or, from August 1999, Higher Still courses or Group Awards. All these courses prepare young people for employment or entry into higher education. Young people in college may also pursue vocational training at all levels through SVQs. For those young people who have lower previous educational attainment, special programmes such as Lifestart, Workstart, or Skillstart, and extended learning support arrangements are available. Other 17 or 18 year olds may enter HNC or HND programmes which prepare them for employment or for further study in higher education.

2.14 In the last 18 months action has been taken on a number of fronts to increase participation and improve attainment:

Targets for Schools: All secondary schools have set targets for improvement over the years to 2001 in Standard Grade and Higher Grade performance. In particular, targets have been set to reduce significantly the unacceptable number of children who leave school with no certification at all.
Education for Work and Enterprise: The Education for Work and Enterprise agenda is about improving quality and coherence in the wide range of activities designed to make better links between education and the world of work. Schools and their partners promote a very wide range of activities under the Education for Work and Enterprise banner, including work experience, mock interviewing, mentoring and enterprise education. There are particular benefits to young people who are uncertain of their career route, or who are unlikely to progress along an academic route. Education for Work and Enterprise is being strengthened, at both strategic and operational levels. For example, recognising the major contribution of work experience to Education for Work, SOEID and the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum will publish a new work experience guide in late Spring 1999.
Excellence Fund for Schools: The Excellence Fund is supporting a range of measures to improve standards. One of the specific measures is support for alternatives to exclusion from school and study support. Schools and local authorities are being invited through Education Action Plans and New Community Schools to consider this development of flexibility in the curriculum so that it can be tailored to the individual needs of the pupil.
Improved Careers Education and Guidance: Careers education and guidance is designed to improve young people's decision making and transition skills, and to equip them with the information needed to make informed choices about their future direction. Careers service companies are increasingly focusing their resources on improving their knowledge and understanding of employers' needs, on working with schools on developing careers education, and on meeting the needs of disaffected young people, and those disadvantaged when it comes to entering the labour market.
Community Education: The recent report on the development of community education in Scotland "Communities Change Through Learning" outlined a vision for Scotland as a democratic and socially just society which enables all of its citizens, in particular those who are socially excluded, to develop their potential to the full and to have the capacity, individually and collectively, to meet the challenge of change. The Secretary of State has accepted the recommendations of the report and a circular on its implementation will be issued shortly to local authorities.
A target of 15,000 Modern Apprenticeships by 2002 to encourage more young people to take up Modern Apprenticeships which offer industry designed training at craft, supervisory or management level.
Right to Time Off for Study or Training for 16 and 17 year old employees who have not achieved a Level II qualification. The Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 places a duty on employers to allow paid time off to these young employees to pursue a course of study or training up to a Level II qualification. Employees who are 18 years old and who embarked on a course of study or training leading to a relevant qualification before reaching that age are also entitled to paid time off. The emphasis is on improving the young person's future employability. This is an important step for young people who have chosen employment as their first option after school but who do not currently benefit from opportunities for further learning. They will now have the opportunity to undertake work-based training or to attend a FE college. There may also be scope for other options, such as distance learning. The Right to Time Off will come into force on 1 September 1999.
Developing the Role of Further Education: The Strategic Framework for Further Education in Scotland, published in March 1999, sets out key challenges for the sector to build on their role as a key provider of education and training for adults in Scotland. Having the right education and training opportunities on offer is as crucial for the employment and career prospects of young people as it is for businesses. College portfolios should be responsive to changing needs and demands within the communities they serve, including business communities. Colleges should use labour market information, and liaise with the business community and other interests, to develop ways of ensuring that the right courses are on offer at the right times and in the right places (including, for instance, in the workplace in appropriate cases). The Strategic Framework also challenges colleges to encourage people, including young people, from sections of the community which are under-represented in FE, and to develop learning and support arrangements that enable them to participate and to progress. The Government will invest around �100 million over the next 3 years to remove barriers to participation and to support a further 40,000 student places in FE from among under-represented sections of the community.
the Beattie Committee was set up in April 1998 to examine the range of needs among young people who require additional support to participate in post-school education or training. It is looking specifically at young people who have a low level of educational attainment, poor motivation and attitude and social, emotional or behavioural problems as well as young people who have physical or learning disabilities. The Committee has a specific focus on skills and employability and will report to Ministers in June 1999 with recommendations to improve coherence and continuity of provision.
Higher Still: Higher Still will realise individual potential and maximise participation. Courses at 5 levels from Access to Advanced Higher will mean that the whole age cohort can work towards achievable qualifications. In particular, the Access courses will improve the attainment of students with a wide range of learning difficulties and the Intermediate level will provide more appropriate learning for that wide group of students of whom S5 Higher is a step too far. The structure of Higher Still courses means that people returning later to learning need not repeat the year for which credits were obtained earlier. They can instead begin straight away to complete any missing units.

Some Recent Developments

2.15 Now that these measures are in place, the question is whether there is more that can be done. Other developments in the last year suggest that there should be a closer examination of how well existing provision in the Careers Service, Further Education and Government funded training meets the needs of 16-18 year olds whose post-school education and training would be at the non-advanced level. The 3 main developments are:

the Skillseekers Evaluation;
the evaluation of the integrated funding and administration model piloted in Fife for non-advanced further education and training (known as FastTrac);
the model of the New Deal Gateway for 18-24 year olds which offers intensive guidance and support.

Skillseekers Evaluation

2.16 The 1998 report of the Skillseekers Evaluation commissioned by Scottish Enterprise and Highland and Islands Enterprise showed that the Skillseekers programme is proving to be effective in offering high quality work-based training to young people. The focus on achievement of a qualification, the greater involvement of employers and the increase in employed status has led to more qualifications achieved. In 1996-97, nearly double the number of young people in Skillseekers achieved a SVQ Level II or above than in 199192. Many of the participating employers have also supported the programme because of the benefits both to the individual and to their company.

2.17 The Evaluation also identified areas for improvement. It highlighted the number of young people who leave the programme without completing the qualification - the "early leavers" and, more importantly, described some of the characteristics of that group of young people who tend to:

e uncertain about the job or training that they want;
have a lower level of attainment (at entry) than those who stay on and complete the programme;
be less likely to have employed status;
be more likely to have special training needs and/or to be working towards a qualification below SVQ Level II;
have more than one Skillseeker job or placement.

2.16 One of the most important issues for young people themselves was their perception that they had not received sufficient or appropriate initial guidance and support, followed by a lack of support during their training. The Evaluation indicated that there was likely to be a relationship between inadequate initial guidance and the low value attached to work-based training by both parents and teachers. Despite some improvement in its image since the introduction of Skillseekers, the Evaluation found that a significant proportion of guidance teachers only recommended Skillseekers when the young person was unwilling to stay in education. It is also a matter of concern that at that time fewer than 50% of the young people had heard of the opportunities for higher level technician and supervisory skills training through Modern Apprenticeships. In the light of these findings Scottish Enterprise's plans to work more closely with guidance teachers and the Careers Service to improve initial information and advice on Skillseekers represent a positive step forward. There will also be further developments on approaches to improving ongoing support and guidance. These measures should help to reduce the number of 'early leavers'.

2.19 The Skillseekers Evaluation also found that only around 10% of employers are involved in Skillseekers with the highest take up being among larger employers and in the traditional industrial sectors like manufacturing and construction and in the distributive trade sectors. This suggests that there is scope to improve awareness of Skillseekers and participation in the programme, particularly among small and medium sized companies.

Fast-Trac

2.20 Fife Enterprise and the 4 Fife FE colleges have taken a different and innovative approach to improving participation and achievement among 16-18 year olds. The FastTrac project in Fife combines the funding for Skillseekers employer based training and non-advanced further education (NAFE) in college to give young people a choice of college or employer training. It has introduced an output based, "real time" funding system into this element of the colleges' provision and has encouraged collaboration between the LECs, the colleges and employers.

2.21 There is now evidence coming forward from a report from HMI and from the interim evaluation of the FastTrac project commissioned by Fife Enterprise in Autumn 1998 about the experience in Fast Trac. This evidence helps us to understand more clearly some of the characteristics of young people in the 16-18 age group who are entering college to pursue non-advanced courses. These findings are very similar to the Skillseeker Evaluation on the characteristics of �early leavers'

Overall the 4 colleges have been successful in increasing the number of 16 - 18 year olds in Fife entering full-time non-advanced further education where participation was at a low level. An active marketing campaign and closer links with schools have been instrumental in this process.

2.23 In 1998, HMI conducted a small-scale investigation, at the request of the Department, into the levels of course completion and achievement (of qualifications) among the college-based Skillseekers in the FastTrac project, and likely causes of non-completion and non-achievement.

2.24 The HMI study also provided some insight into the characteristics of the students which included low attainment at school, history of poor attendance, a background of social or economic deprivation and a need for more support and guidance.

2.25 Within Fife, HMI found that the FastTrac students had achievement rates close to the national average for this age group while achievement among non-FastTrac students was lower (than the national average). On the basis of statistical evidence and visits to the 4 Fife Colleges, which offer courses broadly similar to provision elsewhere, HMI concluded that 16-18 year olds in NAFE across Scotland have significantly lower completion and achievement rates than older students on the same or similar programmes.

2.26 Although the study was limited in scope and depth, HMI concluded that the factors likely to contribute to lower levels of completion and achievement among 16-18 year olds, both in FastTrac and elsewhere, were

the quality of pre-entry information and guidance;
early recognition and action on student needs or problems;
student motivation and capability.
programme design;
induction arrangements;
teaching and assessment methods;
ongoing guidance and learner support;
staff development on the needs of students with previous low attainment, poor motivation etc.

2.27 The interim FastTrac Evaluation came to broadly similar conclusions. It showed that while the retention of the FastTrac students was lower than originally anticipated there were variations between colleges and types of courses. This finding was set beside the evidence about the characteristics of the FastTrac students drawn from consultations with college staff and young people themselves. Many had low achievement from school, coupled with poor attendance and no clear career direction. Some also had social or behavioural problems. This may have contributed to difficulties in adjusting to the college environment. (There were, on the other hand, some students who responded positively to the environment and whose attendance was more regular.)

2.28 Within the FastTrac project, the findings about the characteristics of the students have led to new thinking in the colleges about the initial screening and ongoing guidance and support, course content and delivery, and staff development and training. This is an area where further investigation, both locally and nationally, would be useful as a basis for improved programme design and delivery.

2.29 The FastTrac experience offers some lessons to draw on in developing future post-school provision. Perhaps most importantly, it has provided new insight into the fact that increases in participation will require new ways of helping young people to complete their courses and achieve the qualification. The colleges in Fife and elsewhere in Scotland, have already introduced some new approaches; for example, encouraging earlier contact with colleges, improved induction and more pastoral support, perhaps by appointing Personal Tutor as well as a course tutor. Views on these and other approaches will be welcome.

2.30 Scottish Enterprise and Fife Enterprise together with the 4 Fife colleges will host a conference to disseminate the results of the FastTrac experience in June. The conference will provide an opportunity for all the key agencies involved in post-school education and training to hear in detail about the FastTrac experience; and to discuss some of the issues raised in this consultation paper about matching provision to the needs and abilities of this group of 16-18 year olds.

New Deal

2.31One of the defining elements of the New Deal is a greater focus on the individual. All New Deal participants enter an initial Gateway phase where they have the support of a Personal Adviser who offers help with job search and will seek to identify any barriers or difficulties in entering employment. Where significant barriers are identified, Personal Advisers are able to refer young people to a range of specialist provision. This might involve assistance with job search skills, such as completing job application forms or writing CVs, careers advice and guidance or short courses to develop confidence, motivation and basic work skills. Young people may also be referred to agencies which can help with literacy and numeracy, housing, drugs and alcohol problems that need to be tackled before an individual is ready to progress to a job or New Deal option.

2.32 The general response among young people to the more individual and personal approach of the Gateway has been positive, and a range of local initiatives has been developed in Scotland to help to improve the job readiness of young people. There could be significant benefits in developing a similar model to meet the needs of 16-18 year olds during the initial transition from education to work. This could focus more on in-depth careers guidance and identifying suitable training opportunities, but could also offer support with job search and basic work skills, including confidence building and communication skills.