So farewell connexions

After the delays and the leaks, the final version of the
government’s youth green paper at last saw the light of day this
week.

Perhaps because it has been such a long time coming there is almost
a sense of anti-climax and a feeling that the proposals lack the
bite that some were hoping for.

But while Youth Matters may be rather wishy-washy over how
it persuades local authorities to provide positive activities for
young people, the same cannot be said for other provisions in the
document. For instance, it unambiguously seals the fate of
Connexions – at least as a national service.

And the writing is also on the wall for youth offending teams which
look set to lose a large chunk of their role – and their budget –
to councils. Both these moves raise concerns over the impact on
disadvantaged youngsters.

It’s true that the demise of Connexions was expected, yet only a
few months ago the Social Exclusion Unit was proclaiming what a
great job it was doing and how young people in their twenties could
benefit from a similar service.

Equally, Yots have enjoyed a good reputation and have been praised
for their excellent work. So why does the government have them in
its sights?

Have they really outlived their usefulness? Or are the proposed
changes more to do with keeping down costs?