Other young people’s education and employment related news and resources
The Department for Education has launched a consultation on subject content in new A levels. The consultation summarises the key content changes proposed for each subject and asks whether the revised subject content gives students the foundation to progress to undergraduate study. The deadline for responding to the consultation is Friday 20 December. For further information visit www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-a-levels-subject-content-consultation.
Skills & Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock has published new statistics on participation in education and training, which show that nationally 88 percent of 16 and 17-year-olds were in education or training as of June 2013, up 1 percent on 2012. For further information visit www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/participation/a00214942/local-authority-education-training.
The Higher Education Funding Council for England has published Trends in Young Participation in Higher Education. The report, which looks at data on school leavers going on to university, shows that 38 percent of those who were 18 in 2011/12 went into higher education, up from 30 percent of those who were the same age in 1998/99; a 26 percent increase over this period in the proportion of 18-year-olds continuing their education beyond A-levels and equivalent qualifications, with most of the rise happening from the mid-2000s onwards; a continuing large difference in participation rates between young people living in the most and least advantaged areas; and women were 22 percent more likely to attend university by age 19 than men and in areas of the country where few students go into higher education, women were 35 percent more likely to attend university. To download the full report visit www.hefce.ac.uk/news/newsarchive/2013/news83564.html.
The Department for Education has published data on pupil absence, which found that the number missing 15 percent or more of school is down from 450,330 in the 2010-to-2011 academic year to 310,580 in the 2012-to-2013 academic year; and the number missing 20 percent or more of school is down from 199,370 in the 2010-to-2011 academic year to 133,830 in the 2012-to-2013 academic year. For further information visit www.gov.uk/government/news/persistent-pupil-absence-falls-by-a-third.
The Department for Education has published an Evaluation of the Work Experience Placement Trials, which notes that factors influencing the success of work experience placements include effective co-ordination, good matching of students to placements, flexibility in timing and the preparation of students. To download the report visit www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/246182/DFE-RR298.pdf.
The Department has also published advice for post-16 education and training providers on Post-16 work experience, available at http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/p/dfe%20dept%20advice%20post-16%20wex%20-%20final%20rs.pdf.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published OECD Skills Outlook 2013: First results from the Survey of Adult Skills, which measured the skills of 16 to 65-year olds across 24 countries and outlined the prevalence and application of skills including literacy and numeracy, as well as their socio-demographic distribution. The report noted that England is the only OECD economy where the average skill levels of 16 to 24-year-olds are no better than that of 55 to 65-year-olds. To download the report visit http://skills.oecd.org/skillsoutlook.html.
The government has launched a consultation for young people around new code of practice and on replacing Special Educational Needs (SEN) statements with 0 to 25 education, health and care plans. The deadline for responding to the consultation is 20 December. For further information visit www.gov.uk/government/consultations/special-educational-needs-sen-code-of-practice-16-to-25.