Facilitating the Transition into Work and Harnessing High Quality and Appropriate

Information Advice and Guidance

Learning for Living and Work Summer Conference – 19 June 2013

Youth Connexions LDD Team

Purpose of Today

• Explore the importance of good quality Information, Advice and Guidance

• Provide an update on the work of the Supported Employment Advisory Service and their role in the transition of young people with additional needs into employment

Why is CE/IAG Important?

• “Careers Education and Information, Advice and Guidance (CE/IAG) provided to students before the end of compulsory school may be essential to allow them to make suitable educational and employment decisions and to minimise the potential costs associated with uninformed and unsuccessful choices. Good CE/IAG can be thought of as aiming to meet two objectives. The first aim is to increase the stock of highly qualified and highly skilled people in the British workforce. The second aim is to encourage disadvantaged young people to aim high. “

• The Role of Information, Advice and Guidance in Young People’s Education and Employment Choices. Department for Education, August 2010

Activity

• In small groups please think for five minutes about what young people need to know about, in order to make informed choices about their future.

What do they need to know about?

• Themselves– What they are interested in– What they can do

• What’s available out there– College– Work– Training– Other

How can we help them?

• Access to good quality Careers Education• Access to good quality, impartial Careers

Advice and Guidance• Access to appropriate Careers Information• Access to college link courses• Access to work experience

Supported Employment Advisory Service

• Supporting young people, who have additional needs, to find and retain paid employment

• Funded through SEND Pathfinder and RPA• Two full-time and two part-time advisers who

work in designated geographic areas

Referrals

• Identifying young people who genuinely want to work

• Referrals from Youth Connexions PAs, schools and colleges

• Direct referrals – LDD duty line• Other agencies

Vocational profile

• Getting to know young person – skills, abilities, support needs, vocational interests, previous work experience

• Gradual process• Meetings at home, Youth Connexions centres• Observation at school, college, work

experience

Employer engagement

• Search for vacancies• Contact relevant employers• Explain service• Market young person• Discuss benefits of Supported Employment

Benefits for employers

• Free recruitment service – no advertising costs• Training and support in the workplace • Routine tasks performed with pride and

commitment• Enhanced Company reputation by

demonstrating corporate social responsibility

Working interview

• Conventional job applications and interviews not always appropriate

• Observe “on the job” in the workplace to assess skills and abilities

• Agreed period of time

Training in Systematic Instruction

• Initial job analysis• Small steps – individual tasks – sequential• Non verbal training methods• Practical demonstration, gestures, visual

prompts• “Try another way”

Support for young people and their parents/carers

• Families kept informed and involved throughout process

• Information and advice regarding financial benefits

• Documentation• Assistance with transport• Travel training

Support for employers

• Initial support for young person in workplace, then gradually fade

• Maintain regular contact with employer• Attendance at inductions and reviews• Advise on reasonable adjustments

Supported Employment Advisers

• Julie Tripcony – South and West julie.tripcony@hertfordshire.gov.uk

• Jo McKerrow – South and West• jo.mckerrow@hertfordshire.gov.uk• Laura Clark – North and East• laura.clark@hertfordshire.gov.uk• Annie Wood – North and East• annie.wood@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Any Questions?