Traineeships can include:

• Extended work placement in variety of sectors
• English skills
• Maths skills
• Employability boost
• Flexible start dates
• Lasts up to 6 months
• Study close-to-home
• Training Support allowance available*
• Nominated personal mentor
• Open to learners with EHCP

Study programmes can include:

• Vocational qualification
• English qualifications
• Maths qualifications
• Employability boost
• Short work experience placement
• Lasts up to 1 year
• Build independence by studying in one of our larger towns or cities
• Training Support allowance available*
• Nominated personal mentor
• Open to learners with an EHCP

* Training Support Allowance Available subject to criteria

Rationale

Worcestershire County Council (WCC) holds a contract with the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to deliver Programmes of Study/Traineeships to 16-19yrs (up to 24yrs with an Education & Health Care Plan) through the People Directorate (known as Young Adult Learning). The Contract, to deliver provision in Worcestershire and Herefordshire, is managed by Worcestershire County Council with subcontracted delivery arrangements in place to ensure geographical coverage to address mobility issues arising in shire counties.

Strategic aim

The main aim is to deliver a Programme of Study/Traineeship that engages and motivates young people, some of whom may not have had a positive, or successful, prior experience of learning, back into education or training and progressing on into mainstream further education or training.

Objectives

• the programme is one of the offers available to young people that will contribute to national priorities of increasing participation and achievement by 19 years old
• to improve young people’s life chances and aspirations who are at risk of being NEET and pre-disposed to becoming unemployed in the future
• to provide personalised learning in a supportive, safe environment
• to support local economic development through high quality education and training that leads to further skills development and sustainable careers – aligned to Worcestershire LEP Priorities
• to support the council's statutory duty under the Education & Skills Act (Raising the Participation Age) to ensure appropriate provision is available to meet the needs of all 16-18yrs including the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people

WCC will support subcontracted delivery partners to ensure that staff are appropriately qualified, undertake continuous professional development and are committed professionals who are passionate about teaching and progressing young people to achieve their goals including being creative and imaginative; accountable for their actions; good role models. WCC ensures that 85% of the per capita funding (£3900) is made available to subcontracted delivery partners for the direct delivery of the programme.

Signed on Behalf of the Governors by Cllr Marc Bayliss (Chair of Governing Body)

What remote education will be made available for learners?

Young Adult Learning Worcestershire delivery partners have the appropriate infrastructure, software and/or tools to support remote learning successfully. During initial assessment learners will undertake a digital assessment and appropriate training delivered to strengthen the technological support for students in their use of learning technologies.  

Learners will be set up on Teams/Zoom/Google Education to access remote delivery where required.  All teaching sessions will be available virtually for learners isolating or shielding during the pandemic.

Learning resources and completed work will be exchanged via OneFile and email.  BKSB online resources will be used to continue the development of English and Maths skills.

What arrangements will be made such as timetabling, virtual learning environments and assessment arrangements?

Timetabled lessons will remain as planned with learners accessing live lessons simultaneously either face to face or remotely. Wherever possible assessments will be arranged on an individual basis and in line with the awarding body recommendations.  

For practical assessments that cannot be completed online, arrangements will be made for learners to access COVID safe centres, socially distancing.

What we expect of our learners?

Young Adult Learning Worcestershire is targeted provision, our centres will remain open to all our learners throughout the pandemic. All learners are expected to attend face to face delivery unless they are unwell, isolating or shielding themselves or someone they live with.

Learners accessing lessons remotely through Zoom/Teams/Google Education will be sent links via text/email to confirm when to log into lessons. All learners will be expected to log into lessons at least twice every day and assigned work accessed through BKSB and OneFile to be completed and uploaded to be assessed by tutors.

Arrangements we will make for learners studying courses that require specialist equipment or facilities?

Most of the Young Adult Learning Worcestershire provision focuses on employability skills that can be pursued without the need for specialist equipment and lends itself to online learning.  

Where vocational qualifications are being delivered, remote learning will focus on the theoretical element of the qualification and the practical elements delivered in centre.

What support will you make available for students without devices, connectivity or a suitable environment for learning?

Young Adult Learning Worcestershire delivery partners will undertake a digital technology assessment during induction to ensure all learners have the devices and connectivity to work remotely where required.  

If the environment they are in is not suitable for learning, all centres will remain open and as the provision is small class sizes and high learner-tutor ratio, social distancing can be maintained in the classroom.

Additional support we will make available for learners with SEND?

Young Adult Learning Worcestershire delivery partners will ensure that additional support is provided for learners with Special Educational Needs or Disability and 1:1 learning/pastoral/mentoring sessions are provided whether face to face or remote.

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Young Adult Learning Worcestershire offer Study Programmes and Traineeships in a range of vocational areas delivered by several Worcestershire based training providers, giving them the opportunity to enhance their skills and experience in a realistic workplace setting.

Can you offer a young person a Work Experience Opportunity?

We are looking for local employers who can offer Work Experience placements to our learners.

On Study Programmes the learners complete 90 hours work experience 

This may be with one employer or made up of several different placements. Therefore, placements can be tailored to the individual.

Traineeships are 26-week programmes

The majority of which is spent in the work place. Learners are expected to attend 1 day a week with the training provider.

Employers are not required to pay young people, so this is a great opportunity to enhance your business while training up new talent in your business sector.

What do I need?

To ensure that the work experience placement is a positive experience for both employer and young person, it is essential that the placement is suited to everyone’s needs.

You will need:

Health and Safety

The employer has the primary responsibility for the health and safety of students whilst on work experience placement and must show evidence of risk assessments for workers under the age of 18.

Employers’ Liability Compulsory Insurance

The government have confirmed that the insurance industry has committed to treat work experience students as employees so that they will be covered by existing Employers’ Liability Insurance policies.

Disclosure and Barring Service (formally CRB)

Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services checks are no longer required on employers/staff supervising young people aged 16 to 17 on work experience.

Please note: Young people intending to undertake work experience in the Health Care and Early Years Sector will need an enhanced DBS check before starting on their placement. Providers will need to cover the costs and the time it takes to complete an application.