Getting Young People Back on Track

[Micsampip1]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum but wanted to get some advice. I have worked with teenagers and young adults for over 6 years, I have 3 of my own aged 14,16 and 19, and have a degree in Education with Special and Inclusive focus.

I have taught, mentored and am now the pastoral worker for an education centre that caters for young people who are disengaged from education or who have special educational needs. Part of my role is to support young people into college, apprenticeships and work and I have been very successful.

For this reason, I was thinking of writing a step-by-step guide to help teenagers who have dropped out of college or work to get back on their feet, develop some much needed employability skills, improve confidence and show them how to do some career planning and making applications.

As a parent do you think this is something you would buy for your teen?
Is it something your teen would use?
Would your teen need something similar but with someone to speak to either via chat or email?

Thanks for any advice

Lisa

sorry Lisa, I responded to your other post, not realising it was for young people disengaged. Yes, I think its important, but it might be an idea to get organisations and charities to pay you for it perhaps.

Hi

Thanks for your message. We often get students who have become disengaged simply because the GCSE, A Level, University route is not appropriate for them. Unfortunately, Government cuts meant the Connexions service has disappeared. Schools are supposed to give impartial advice and guidance but don't have the training or keep up to date with the range of pathways available.

The CBI say employers are crying out for employees with a strong work ethic and a range of employability skills as well as maths and English. There are courses out there that will serve to improve these skills alongside teaching vocational subjects. There are so many options it seems a shame there is no body pushing students towards more practical subjects.

Thanks again for your response.

Lisa

DS has ASD and has become very disengaged by the school curriculum - he is at special school which offers GCSEs and vocational routes but he is only consistently attending one subject at the moment. He doesn't have a strong work ethic now and so apprenticeships aren't really appropriate for him, he would be unlikely to attend regularly.

I have done a fair bit of research myself into colleges (in our local area and specialist SEN colleges outside the area) and apprenticeships already and it seems to me that there are a lot of vocational opportunities out there. It doesn't seem that there is a lack of information about these, I'm not sure what the service mentioned could offer above what I have already found out online/through college visits. We have a careers service in our area which replaced Connexions and they have a specific advisor for young people with SEN.

Unfortunately none of the subjects offered appeal to DS at all - bricklaying, catering, vehicle maintenance etc, and he doesn't meet the admissions criteria for other subjects (accountancy, IT). He is cognitively very bright and academic study suits him, but the exam system doesn't (due to anxiety), and he'd struggle with FE colleges due to the size/noise. I think he could do well in degree level studies at some point in the future, however, especially through some kind of distance learning.

Thanks for your feedback and take your point.

I tend to mentor individuals and guide and push and guide and push until they get there as a lot of it is down to lack of confidence. I think its probably a face to face thing that's needed really.

I hope your DS finds his forte. There are many degrees out there that are assignment based only and as an adult some universities will accept an exploratory essay as proof of ability if someone applies without traditional qualifications or there's the OU.

However, I would encourage him to develop his social skills as even if he is able to achieve a degree through distance learning he needs to be able to work alongside people at some point.

Good luck and thanks again

Lisa

With my limited experience of only one disengaged teen - he would not be interested in reading anything to re- motivate himself, he has disengaged. An online chat facility or email may reach him though and advertise via a banner on Xbox.
I think you are doing a fantastic job BTW .