Employment and Training
Connexions service
Connexions service
The Connexions service offers a range of guidance and support for young people aged 13 to 19 that will help to provide a smooth transition towards adult life. This includes helping them to participate in appropriate education, achieve their full potential and deal with any problems they encounter and removing any barriers to learning that may be experienced.
Connexions is the title given to a service that started in 2001 and grew from a government document, 'Learning to Succeed: a new framework for post-16 learning' (1999). The Connexions Service offers a range of guidance and support for young people aged from 13 - 19 years to help provide a smooth transition towards adult life.
Connexions brings together various government departments and other agencies (private or voluntary) to pool the type of services and support young people are likely to need in their teenage years. It is these 'local partnerships' which are charged with delivering a service to young people - currently there are around 50 established in England. (Partnerships cover the same areas as Learning and Skills Councils).
The key aims of the service are:
- To enable young people to participate effectively in appropriate learning
- Help young people reach their full potential
- Help young people deal with the variety of problems they are likely to experience at their age
- Remove any barriers to learning for those who appear to be having particular problems
The service is stated to be based on a number of principles:
- Raising expectations
The setting of high expectations for every individual.
- Meeting individual needs
Overcoming any barriers to learning.
- Taking account of the views of young people both individually and collectively
- Inclusion
Keeping young people in the mainstream of education and training, preventing them from becoming marginalised in their local community.
- Partnership
To join with other agencies to provide a better overall service.
- Community involvement and neighbourhood renewal
To help young people, through the use of Personal Advisors, to access local health, welfare, arts, sports and other amenities or networks.
- Extending opportunity and equality of opportunity
To raise young people's participation and achievement levels, to influence the availability, suitability and quality of provision.
- Evidence based practice
To utilise research and evaluation as a base for initiatives to recognise 'what works'.
From the outset, the service had a number of targets for its activities. These targets were designed to impact in the following ways:
- Reduce education time lost through truancy
- Reduce the numbers of permanent exclusions
- Contribute towards the improvement of educational grades obtained at 16 and 19 years
- Increase the level of employment, training or education among those young people who are 'looked after by local authorities
- Help reduce youth crime and drug taking
- Help reduce conception rates for under 18 year olds and particularly those under 16 years
- To promote greater participation for and inclusion of disadvantaged groups such as young people with disabilities, people from ethnic minority groups, teenage mothers and other young people at risk.
One of the key elements in the Connexions Service is Personal Advisors who are new professionals taking on a youth broker and personal advisor function. Their role utilises approaches of case management, placement and advice to achieve the following:
- Establish the needs of young people and provide personal support, advice, information and guidance where necessary
- Work with schools, colleges and training providers in the designing of courses
- Help young people to overcome any barriers to work and learning opportunities
- Work with parents and carers to support young people
- Help young people to access and contribute to community support networks
- Work alongside other agencies in the field to overcome barriers to learning and employment
- Monitor progress and outcomes
More information at www.connexions.gov.uk
Connexions Direct
Connexion Direct is part of Connexions and provides web-based information, advice and support for young people. Some of the topic areas covered are:
- Careers
- Learning
- Health
- Free time
- Work
- Money
- Relationships
- Your rights
- Travel
Connexions Direct can be contacted by telephone, adviser online, email and text. The advice line number is 080 800 13219. The web site address is: www.connexion-direct.com.
The Connexions Card
The Connexions Card is available free to all 16-19 year olds in England. It allows them to collect reward points for learning, work-based training and voluntary activities. Points can be exchanged for discounted or free goods and other offers.
The Card can also be used for on-the-spot discounts and special offers from outlets displaying the Connexions Card window sticker.
More information is available on line at www.connexionscard.com.
