Teaching and Assessing Soft Skills - MASS - Measuring and ...

Target Group Characteristics
Demographics
The average age of the students involved in the SkillZone is 15 years old, with a range
extending from 14-18 years old. Their sexes are mixed, with 50/50 analogy.
Material/Economic
13% full time SkillZone students are in some form of social work/foster care and a further
10% have their own tenancy in local council accommodation. The remaining 77% reside
with parents or guardians. They come from a mix of both poor and affluent areas of the
county. Approximately 12% come from single parent families or 2nd/3rd marriages with
extended families. Approximately 80% of full time students qualify for an Educational
Maintenance Allowance (£30 per week of Government grant).
Social Capital
Almost all students have partners, families or friends to whom they can talk. Where this is
lacking, the College provides additional support in the form of guidance support workers and
“buddies” whose role is to have one to one sessions with the young person and provide
opportunities and links to external agencies and partnerships which will increase their
network of social contacts.
Health and well-being
SkillZone learners suffer from various disabilities, from mental health to physical and
learning issues. These are supported as part of the SkillZone programme via a student
services team and a course leader who provides a guidance service to all students on the
course. The student services team has access to additional external agencies and resources
to help facilitate support for individual students in any area affecting health and well-being.
Of the full time SkillZone students 67% currently receive this additional support outwith
MASS time.
Crime and harm
A few SkillZone students have criminal records or tendencies and these ranges from minor
infractions to major offences. Most (approximately 90%) have never been charged with any
crime.
Drug abuse
As a rough approximation, 20% of the 65 students involved in SkillZone in 2010-2011 have
indulged in or currently do use ‘social’ drugs. For two of them this has caused difficulties.
Included in this is alcohol abuse – either by the learner or by relatives at home. 6% of
students have difficulties attending college or school because of parental/sibling abuse of
substances/alcohol.
Teaching materials
In the framework of operation of SkillZone and as a part of the MASS project, paper based
learning material developed and given to the rest of partners for testing (MASS project,
n.d.). These materials are the products SikillZone teachers’ experience. They comprise of 17
82