Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

The Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which provided an update on post 16 transitions and young people who were not participating in Education, Employment and Training (NEET).

The Chair welcomed the young people from Coventry College and thanked the Chief Executive for allowing the Board to hold the meeting in their Boardroom.  Members at the meeting introduced themselves and the Chair explained the role of Councillors, procedure and that we were currently in a pre-election period which restricted the promotion of political parties.

The young people discussed their individual learning experiences and aspirations.  The Chair thanked the young people for their presentation and asked about the advice they would give to young people leaving school.  The advice they suggested included:

·  Not giving up on your dreams as there would be alternative options to reach them

·  It was okay to be unsure about what you want

·  Do not stress to much

·  Do not allow difficulties and disabilities to impact negatively on you

The Cabinet Member for Children and Young People also thanked the young people for sharing their journeys and discussed how employers could support the journey too.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills shared in thanking the young people and felt they were brave, inspiring role models.  He echoed that learning was a journey with choices and different routes, if you do not succeed at a certain point then it was not the end of that dream.

The Chief Executive of Coventry College presented to the Board the Further Education offer and how they encourage students to find the ‘best version of themselves’ she was proud of the representatives able to contribute positively to the meeting.  She discussed the strategic plan, priorities and purpose and that although they were judged as requires improvement they had pockets of outstanding work and high aspirations.

The report noted the recent changes to the Department for Education (DfE) definition of NEET and what information the Local Authority were required to collect and report to the DfE on.  The report also contained performance information from 2017-2019 for NEET and Not Known and included detail about various categories including gender, special educational needs and ethnic groups. 

Working in partnership was highlighted in the report including Prospects, who were contracted to deliver the service, working with a range of other teams including Through Care, SEND, Youth Offending Service and Positive Youth Foundation at various locations to assist young people.  The report also detailed ‘Ambition Coventry’ which was funded via grants to 6 delivery partners with the aim of reducing youth unemployment and supporting marginalised groups of young people.  The report stated that the NEET figure was higher at age 16 than 17 in Coventry, the West Midlands and nationally but this was a typographical error and the figures were higher at 17 than 16.   

The Chair welcomed Karen Allen from Prospects to the meeting and her contribution to the discussion regarding working together, being persistent and resilient were key to supporting vulnerable young people.

The Board questioned the Cabinet Member and officers on the following:

·  tracking young people who were NEET

·  Strategies to encourage engagement

·  Concerns about exploitation, activity unknown and homeless young people

·  Work experiences

Officers discussed Coventry’s positive NEET figures and continued commitment to support young people.  Officers also discussed communication between partners, acting quickly and persistence.  The embedded rhetoric regarding NEETs joining gangs when the reality was that vulnerable young people were being exploited and the focus needed to be on the prevention of this.  Officers know who the young people were that were logged as activity unknown and they work to engage with these young people and support vulnerable young people.  The number of young people that were NEET was a national problem.  Barriers were being discovered and signposting established as well as working with employers to develop social values and site visits into employment.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Board

1) thank the college and the students for hosting the meeting, contributing to the discussion about post 16 transition and supporting young people.

2)  thank Karen Allen and Prospects for contributing to the discussion and supporting young people.

3) request further data about qualifications of NEETs and those who had been excluded.