AQW 37353/11-15
Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry
Tabled Date: 10/10/2014
Answered On Date: 03/11/2014
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what steps his Department is taking to assess and address the risk factors resulting in young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training.
Answer:
My Department is responsible for the implementation of the Executive’s “Pathways to Success” which seeks to address the needs of all young people who are presently Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET). This work is monitored and supported by a delivery infrastructure under the direction of the NEET Advisory Group, which is representative of key decision makers from Government Departments, the voluntary and community sector, education, health, social care and business sectors and local government. A range of programmes has been developed to meet the needs of those young who are in the NEET category, all of which include the development of a personal action plan based on a detailed assessment of each young person’s specific needs. The following programmes currently provide targeted support to young people in the NEET category. I have also referenced a number of new initiatives which will provide additional support to those young people furthest away from the labour market. These include: Collaboration and Innovation Fund This programme commences with an initial assessment by qualified staff to identify the barriers which are preventing the young people moving towards employment. This enables staff to develop a meaningful action plan designed to address the specific barriers and help the young people to improve their employability skills. Local Employment Intermediary Service (LEMIS) This is a community-based employment initiative designed to help the “hardest to reach” in targeted geographical areas. LEMIS Mentors travel to meet clients with a common employability barrier in their local area, to conduct an assessment of the clients’ specific needs and to arrange mentoring and other support measures to address the critical barriers. The Community Family Support Programme (CFSP) CFSP focuses on the needs of the most disadvantaged families, to enable young people to re- engage with Employment, Education, or Training. This programme has received additional financial support from OFMDFM and has been designated as a ‘Signature Project under the Delivering Social Change initiative. Careers Service My Department’s Careers Service currently provides dedicated advice and support to all 16-17 year olds in the NEET category. These clients are allocated a specific careers adviser who provides support and advocacy to assist them to secure an appropriate education, employment or training opportunity. Careers advisers also work with those young people who have unfortunately dropped out of education and training, to help them back into a positive labour market opportunity. The United Youth Programme (UYP) My Department is leading on the development of the Executive’s United Youth Programme which has two specific outcomes: The personal development of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), to improve their confidence, skills and experience; and The promotion of good relations between these young people and others across the community, including people (and particularly young people) from other religious backgrounds. In the early pilot phase I am particularly interested in finding new and creative ways of engaging those most disadvantaged or at risk of exclusion. Apprenticeships In June 2014, my Department published Securing our Success: The Northern Ireland Strategy on Apprenticeships which will be central in transforming our skills landscape and securing our economic success. The new model for apprenticeships will be in place for 2016 and includes a range of commitments to increase participation by a wide range of individuals. In particular, a pilot project will be taken forward to develop a new youth training offer to widen access to apprenticeships to individuals with disabilities or other barriers that are impacting on their ability to engage in education and training. Economic Inactivity My Department is currently working in partnership with DETI, DSD, Invest NI and DHSSPS to develop a new strategy to tackle economic inactivity. A key aspect of this Strategy will be the delivery of initiatives designed to reduce the numbers of young people who are economically inactive.
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