Collaborative Approaches to 14-19 Provision - Communities and ...

14-19 PATHFINDERS: THE SECOND YEARSECTION SIX: CASE STUDIES207. The following case studies are based principally upon five days fieldwork carried outin each pathfinder in the spring and summer terms of 2004. The text of each case study hasbeen checked and agreed with the pathfinders. Two important points should be kept in mindwhen reading the case studies. First, they are accounts of the 14-19 Pathfinders at particularpoints in time. Since the fieldwork was completed development has continued and some ofthe identified issues may have been resolved and others may have arisen. Second, these donot constitute comprehensive accounts of all that it is happening in 14-19 in the case studyareas. While we were flexible in our fieldwork, it was necessary in the time available tofocus particularly on pathfinder-funded activities and neglect or ignore other activities.Therefore because certain 14-19 activities or developments are not mentioned in theindividual case studies it should not be assumed that they are not taking place, since it mayhave been that they were not part of our fieldwork.COVENTRY PATHFINDERThe local context208. Coventry had a population of just over 300000 according to the 2001 census. Thispopulation was slightly younger than the England average, with 21.2 % under 16 in 2001compared to an England average of 20.2%. The population is ethnically diverse, with 11.3%of Asian or British Asian origin (compared to an England average of 4.6%) making up thelargest ethnic minority. The city is geographically compact with bus journey times of around30 minutes from the outskirts to the city centre.209. The unemployment rate, at 4%, was slightly above the England average in 2000. Theeconomy of the city has diversified over the last 20 years, although employment inmanufacturing remains above the England average. Other significant employment sectorsinclude public administration; distribution, hotels and restaurants; and banking, finance andinsurance. In its report ‘Driving the Sub-Region Forward: The Coventry, Solihull andWarwickshire Economy 2003/04’ the local LSC emphasised the evolution of the sub-regional69