Connexions case notes

The paper work is piling up again! Monthly reports, contact
sheets, letters… Although it seems tedious collating statistics,
the monthly report can enable me to review my progress and outcomes
objectively and so focuses my work.

From this month’s report, I can see that I have 35 young
people on my caseload. Out of the 35, I have identified 14 with
emotional and learning difficulties, two young mothers, six
refugees and asylum seekers and 11 not in employment education or
training (Neet) young people. Although categorised differently,
most of these young people are similar in that they are either
disengaged or at risk of disengaging from education, employment or
training.

As an organisation, Connexions is currently working towards
reducing Neet figures by 10 per cent by November 2004.

For me, a key group of young people at risk are those who are in
years 10 and 11, and attend college instead of school. Most of
these young people are still on their previous school’s roll,
and have a range of reasons why they couldn’t or
wouldn’t stay at school.

Many of them have bad experiences of the education system, and
low expectations of what they can achieve. I need to work quite
intensively with these students on an individual basis to ensure
they settle down in college, and attend regularly.

It is not easy trying to work towards reducing the number of
Neet young people.

Although there are some training programmes and courses
available to young people, there is still not enough provision. Age
and qualification restrictions often mean that even when a young
person decides to return to education, he or she cannot get place
on their chosen training programme or course.

Usually we can find a pathway into education or training, but it
is not always the pathway they imagined taking or wanted to take.
This is when keeping them there can prove difficult!