Agenda item

Collette Bailey, Raising Participation Manager, Children and Young People’s Services, to report.  

Anthony Evans, NEETS-MOG Co-ordinator, reported on the above consultation.

As from Summer 2013, all young people would be required to participate in education or training until the end of the academic year in which they turned 17 and from Summer 2015, onwards until their 18^th birthday.

The consultation sought views on elements of how Raising the Participation Age (RPA) would work in practice by consulting on the policies that would form the secondary legislation.

Young people would be able to participate through 3 options:-

-        Full-time education – whether at a school, college or otherwise

-        Apprenticeship

-        Working full-time (for 20 hours or over per week and for at least 8 weeks) and undertaking part-time study alongside (for the equivalent of a day a week)

The DfE was consulting as to how best to define what was meant by full-time education in all its relevant settings:-

Question 2a

Which of the options do you prefer?

Option 1 – a blanket rate of minimum full-time hours for all education types (suggested 534 hours annually)

Option 2 – a more differentiated approach for the different types of education provision

Option 2 preferred

Needed to be bespoke and tailored if someone was participating in learning and not defined number of hours

Accredited learning package, outcomes, job opportunities

Question 3b

Do you agree with DfE suggestion of 534 hours as the minimum requirement for full-time education for colleges under Option 2?

Distorted learning programmes to meet minimum hours or maximising funding by delivering multiple qualifications

Question 4a

Should the 3 options i.e. working not for reward, holding an office and self-employment be counted as valid means of participation when combined with part-time study?

Should be included in the definition.

Volunteering hours should be included

Question 4b

Are there any additional ways of working that you would consider relevant?

Consideration given to the definition of participation to be sufficiently flexible to meet the needs of young parents caring for their own child.  A teenage mother in education had to return within 2 weeks of giving birth

Question 5

What would be most useful to set out in guidance here?

Protocols for cross boundary work

How would you monitor it?

Question 6

Does the level of fines of 4 weeks and 8 weeks salary seem appropriate?  If not, what could the level of fines be set at?

Nothing additional to add to the officers’ comments

Question 7

Should the amount of fine be set at a maximum or as a guide level?

Nothing additional to add to the officers’ comments

Question 8

Do you agree that it is right to exempt employers of fewer than 10 people from fines?

Nothing additional to add to the officers’ comments

Question 9

In addition to information on how to check enrolment and guidance to local authorities on the informal resolution of disputes, is there any other further information that could usefully be provided here?

Nothing additional to add

Question 10

Does setting out that a local authority can use any money raised from a fine here to cover their costs and contribute towards a tracking system – with any surplus returned to DfE – seem like a reasonable proposition?

Nothing additional to add to the officers’ comments

Question 11

Do you have any other comments?

Unclear about some of the questions

Resolved:-  (1)  That the consultation response incorporate the above comments and submitted in accordance with the deadline.

(2)  That the full response be shared with the Select Commission following the close of the consultation.