download - Deutsches Jugendinstitut e.V.

lone parents and 10 % Travellers. A training allowance is paid which is age and attendance
related. The programme’s objective is to provide early school leavers (16-20 years) with the
knowledge, skills and confidence required to participate fully in society and progress to
further education, training and employment.
Many factors contribute to young people’s active or passive decisions to leave school
early. It is easy to analyse early school leaving in terms of problems and risk factors. But
school simply doesn’t work for many young people. For others there may be difficulties in
any or all of a range of ecosystems - the school, the family, the peer group or the
neighbourhood. In very many instances it is clear that leaving school early is a rational
response to forces beyond the individual’s control. In the Youthreach experience, while
each young person presents with his/her own package of experiences and issues, it is
always clear why s/he left school early. That said, a wide range of difficulties present.
In a survey of the 90 Centres funded by the Department (Ministry) of Education and
Science conducted in December 2005 it emerged that almost 40 % of learners had
significant literacy and numeracy difficulties, over 50 % had a dysfunctional family
background, over a quarter had substance misuse problems and 30 % needed sustained
psychological support. Of particular note, in one of Europe’s richest countries, 17 %
presented with ‘poor physical health’ such as a persistent illness or poor nutrition. A similar
proportion had been cautioned by the police. A quarter had multiple problems.
Programme staff must deal with a paradox – Youthreach is an education and training
programme, not a total care package, yet young people present with a variety of problems
that require solution before they can engage with the learning process. Therefore, the most
problematic phase of participation is the engagement phase. It is the point at which
programme providers need the greatest level of support, both in terms of their own
practice and from external agencies. That support is very mixed – sometimes thorough,
sometimes not - and is too reliant on individuals within organisations rather than on
organisational cohesion and an effective infrastructure of services to young people.
The programme works with individuals across a spectrum. At one end there is
instability, dependency, detachment, dysfunction and a lack of self-agency and at the other
stability, independence, integration and employability. Programme participants may be at
any point along that spectrum. The programme works with them to help them move
towards positive outcomes. It does so by combining best practice from education, training
and non-formal youth work.
Education
Youthreach
Training
Youth work
31