Increasing the participation of 16- to 24-year-olds in education, training and employment not only makes a lasting difference to individual lives, but is central to our ambitions to improve social mobility and stimulate economic growth. In Building engagement, building futures, the Government set out how its radical reforms of schools, vocational education, skills and welfare provision will make a significant difference to young people’s opportunities and support.

The Department wants to go further to ensure that young people get the help they need to engage. In November 2011, the Government announced almost £1 billion of funding over the next three years to support the participation of 16 to 24 year-olds in education, training and work – the Youth Contract.View the youth contract initiatives.

Through the Youth Contract for 16 to 17 year-olds, we are investing £126 million in England over the next three years specifically to support disengaged 16- to 17-year-olds to move into education, training or employment with training. This will help to support the Government’s overall commitment to full participation for this age group as we raise the participation age to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015. This programme of additional support is focused on young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The original core target group for this programme, as defined during the procurement exercise, is focused on at least 55,000 young people who are:

  • 16-17 year olds currently not participating in education, employment or training (NEET) with low levels of attainment (No GCSEs at A*-C)

 

In January 2013 it was announced that the eligibility criteria for the programme should be extended to include 16 and 17 year olds who are NEET and:

  • who have 1 GCSE A*-C or;
  • who are in care/ have left care (care leavers) or;
  • who are  young offenders released from custody.

Providers are given complete freedom to design and tailor a programme of support to help them move into full-time education, an apprenticeship or a job with training. They receive payment by results, up to £2200 per person, depending on how successful they are at helping young people to make a sustainable move into a positive outcome.

Local authorities (LAs) have a statutory duty to support young people to participate and have a key role in helping to deliver this programme, working with providers to target those young people who most need support and ensure that this provision fits closely with the wider local offer.

You can download the detailed and updated role of LAs in supporting the Youth Contract. 

The Government announced the names of the providers who have successfully bid to participate on 20 July 2012. The organisations were required to demonstrate a proven track record in getting young people into education, apprenticeships, training or work with training.

In three areas of the country – Liverpool, Newcastle-Gateshead and Leeds-Bradford-Wakefield – we are testing a local approach to developing this programme as part of the Government’s city deals. In these locations, funding will be devolved to the LAs, who will work together to commission a programme of support for 16- to 17-year-olds based on payment by results.

View further detail about the specification and other ITT documents.

There is also a list of providers delivering the Youth Contract for 16- and 17-year-olds, their supply chain and the geographical area they cover.