Shropshire Star

Hundreds of teens missing out on training or education

Hundreds of teenagers in the county are likely to be missing out on education or training after leaving school, despite a government guarantee.

Published

Further education leaders have claimed this is due to government funding running out for apprenticeships.

Since 2014, local authorities have been required to find an education or training place for all 16 and 17-year-olds after they finish their GCSEs.

This can include studying A-levels, starting an apprenticeship or work combined with training.

Department for Education figures show that in 2018, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council gave 90.9 per cent of its 3,950 school leavers suitable offers of education or training.

That leaves 359 teenagers who could be missing out.

Of those, for 63 the offer was not considered appropriate, usually due to personal circumstances, and 115 received no offer.

A further 186 teenagers did not have their situation recorded, possibly because they were not contacted by the local authority, or they moved address.

Shropshire Council gave 93.7 per cent of its 5,770 school leavers suitable offers of education or training.

That leaves 364 teenagers potentially missing out. Of those, for 58 the offer was not considered appropriate, while 23 received no offer.

A further 283 teenagers did not have their situation recorded.

'Scandalous'

Association of Employment and Learning Providers chief executive Mark Dawe said it was “scandalous” that the Government cannot guarantee funding any more apprenticeships for school leavers.

He said: “The DfE’s most senior civil servant told a Commons committee on Monday that the big issue is that the apprenticeship levy is running out of cash and that hard choices have to be made.

“But the easiest choice is to safeguard apprenticeships for the youngest, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

A lower proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds were made offers by Telford and Wrekin Borough Council last year than in 2017, when 93 per cent received a suitable training or education place.

Telford and Wrekin handed out fewer places than councils across the West Midlands on average, where 95.1 per cent of pupils received a suitable offer.

In Shropshire 90.6 per cent received a suitable training or education place in 2017.

Across the region, more than 6,000 teenagers could have missed out on education or training in 2018.

A DfE spokeswoman said: "This year’s September Guarantee data showed that almost 95 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds in England received a suitable offer in 2018."

She added that a teenager who does not receive an offer will not always be missing education or training.