Guidance, Learning, Inspiration, Motivation, Pathways, Skills, and Employability.

 The government has identified the need to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) by 2013. ESS-TEAM is clearly committed to this drive which will give more targeted and intensive support to those young people who have particular issues or barriers to staying in learning until at least 18.

The specific programme aims to provide the students with the opportunity to investigate the range of options available to them at the end of their school life and to encourage and motivate them with their planning and decision making to achieve their goals and aim higher

We have been successful in the planning, developing and delivering of this specific programme providing opportunities and insights for those identified students in year 12 of their post sixteen education.

The purpose of this programme is to introduce the students to their potential options, empower them to raise their ambitions and to equip them with the knowledge, skills, confidence and self-esteem to enable them to achieve their full potential and obtain a positive destination. This support should ensure that they know how to access education, training or employment and enable them to overcome barriers so that they may remain in learning and be successful in the labour market.

This would be a collaborative venture involving a variety of providers: employers, training providers, and local further / higher education institutions in partnership with ESS-TEAM. Our combined efforts aim to provide the young people with personal guidance and support to equip them with skills and enable them to make informed decisions as well as supporting them through the application processes.

The programme involves an initial briefing for students in school. Followed with a mixed school event establishing employability skills and providing an opportunity for the students to make choices of what they would like to experience. This leads to a week of taster opportunities

Finally, the project concludes with feedback opportunities and follow up interviews in school with a mentor who would provide support with the application process in order to finalise their plans for entering further education, training or employment.