Appendix 1

YOUTHREACH – A Brief Outline

1. Introduction

YOUTHREACH is an inter-Departmental initiative for early school leavers. Participants are generally aged between 15 and 18 and have left school with less than 5 Ds in the Junior Certificate, or without having attempted the Leaving Certificate. The programme operates through a number of different strands – YOUTHREACH centres, funded by the Department of Education and Science and managed by VECs, Community Training Workshops funded by FAS, and Justice Workshops funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and FÁS. A similar programme in a culturally supportive environment is operated for Travellers in a network of Senior Traveller Training Centres. There is no upper age limit in the Senior Traveller Centres in order to encourage parents to participate, given the influence this exerts on their children's participation in school. There are 76 YOUTHREACH Centres, 47 Community Training Workshops, 6 Department of Justice Workshops and 28 Traveller Training Centres operating throughout the country catering for over 6000 trainees.

The programme is managed and monitored at national level by FAS and the Department of Education and Science. It is animated, supported and co-ordinated by National co-ordinators in the education sector and in FÁS.

2. Early school leaving in Ireland

The ESRI Annual School Leavers Surveys of those leaving second level schools each year show the following:

In addition to the above, 900-1000 do not transfer from primary school, of whom a high proportion are Traveller children. Of the 10,800 who leave having completed Junior Cycle some 2,000 do not achieve 5Ds in the Junior Certificate. Higher proportions of boys leave school early with no qualifications (64% male, 36% female) and this pattern is repeated for those who leave having completed junior cycle but without a Leaving Certificate.

The 1998 survey shows the length of post-primary education before leaving school of leavers with no qualifications:

Of those who enter the labour market after school, the unemployment rate is 47.5% for those with no qualifications, compared with 9.6% for those with a Leaving Certificate. For unqualified leavers, significantly more boys (48.1%) than girls (38.9%) enter employment. A high proportion of girls in this group is classified as being 'unavailable for work' (20.3% of girls compared with 6.9% of boys). Gross weekly earnings are 30% higher for young males in this group than for females. However, when hourly earnings are examined the differential reduces to 15%.

The survey demonstrates that both the levels of education and the grades achieved have a marked influence on gaining employment and, in general, that higher qualifications and grades

• increase the chances of gaining employment;
• reduce the length of time spent seeking work;
• reduce the risk of unemployment and
• promote higher earnings levels.

3. YOUTHREACH – Programme structure and objectives

YOUTHREACH is the national response to the needs of unqualified early school leavers in Ireland, and offers a programme of integrated general education, vocational training and work experience. At present the courses are full-time and are available on a year round basis. A training allowance is paid to participants ranging from £28 to £70 per week, depending on age. Centres and Workshops are distributed throughout the country, mostly in disadvantaged areas, in both urban and rural communities. It is delivered in out-of-school settings.

YOUTHREACH is structured around two distinct phases:

• a Foundation phase which seeks to enable the participant to overcome learning difficulties, develop self-confidence and gain a range of competences essential for further learning;
• a Progression phase which provides for more specific development through a range of educational, training and work experience options.

Basic skills training, practical work training and general education are features of the programme, and the application of new technology is integrated into all aspects of programme content. The programme provides a strong emphasis on personal development, on the core skills of literacy/numeracy, communications and IT, along with a choice of vocational options such as Catering, Hairdressing, Computers, Woodwork, Photography, Video, Sports, Art and Craft, and a work experience programme.

YOUTHREACH is learner-centred and experiential. There is a strong emphasis on achievement and on developing the capacities of participants. The programme promotes the participants' sense of self-worth and identity, as well as pride in their abilities and work. It is an integrated experience – personal, communications and vocational skills are integrated in a curricular and experiential matrix. Evaluations report that participants highly value their experience on YOUTHREACH and would recommend it to others. 80% of participants progress to the labour market or to further education and training.

The main objectives of YOUTHREACH are

• Personal and social development and increased self-esteem;
• Second-chance education and introductory level training;
• Promoting independence, personal autonomy and a pattern of lifelong learning;
• Integration into further education and training opportunities and the labour market;
• Certification relative to ability and career options;
• Social inclusion.

4. Certification

Flexible, standards-based national qualifications systems have been developed by the NCVA and by FÁS. National certification is available at Foundation Level and Level 1 from the National Council for Vocational Awards, and a mutual recognition agreement was concluded between the NCVA National Foundation Certificate and the FAS/CERT/TEAGASC Introductory Vocational Skills Certificate. Holders of either certificate have access to the same progression options, and relevant modules under either system are recognised as equivalent for the purpose of certification. As part of the overall approach, modules achieved under the Junior Certificate, and the FÁS Integrated Assessment System are recognised as equivalent for the purpose of an NCVA award, provided the candidates are successful in at least 4 NCVA modules. The system also provides for issue of Records of Achievement for individual modules, which can be accumulated over time to a full award. Candidates whose entries fail to achieve the required level are referred stating the reasons for the decision, so that they may re-submit a completed/revised portfolio at a later date. Provision for an appeals process is inbuilt into the mechanisms.

Participants are also entitled to enter Department of Education and Science examinations as mature or external applicants. Over 200 attempt all or part of the Junior Certificate each year. Their achievements are analysed and reported by the National Co-ordinators. Increasing numbers of YOUTHREACH participants in all strands have now begun the Leaving Certificate Programme as a progression option.

A wide range of other certification is also utilised in order to maximise the recording of achievement by participants.

5. Progression

The ESF Programme Evaluation Unit report on Early School Leaver Measures (1996) was critical of the progression options available to YOUTHREACH participants. This was due to a critical shortfall in the number of places available and to the lack of availability of national certification. Arising from the Mid-Term Review of EU Structural Funds, there has been a major expansion of places since then. 2240 extra places in FAS and the VECs were approved including the development of ring-fenced progression places and Bridging Measures within FÁS, leading to FÁS/City and Guilds of London certification. National NCVA Certification at Foundation Level was implemented in 1997. Level 1 certification was implemented nationally in 1999.

Progression policy within YOUTHREACH is focussed on

• the promotion of access to a range of options within FAS and the Education sector. e.g. Linked Work Experience, Level 1 training, Specific Skills Training, Community Employment, Bridging Measures, Traineeships;
• entry to Apprenticeship, with support from Bridging Measures where needed
• progression to VTOS, CERT, TEAGASC etc where eligible;
• progression options within the Traveller Training Centres and re-entry to mainstream education;
• opportunities to pursue programmes such as the Leaving Certificate Applied, with extension of the duration of the Progression Phase as needed for this;
• an increased focus on the networking of out-of-school centres with the mainstream system, encouraging the centres to act as brokers and mentors to facilitate successful progression. The initiatives under the Guidance and Counselling measure, the Bridging measure and the Advocate programme (see 10 below) complement this work;
• enhanced quality assurance in the networks through the ongoing training of trainers actions, the networking of centres, and the dissemination of good practice and learning from new developments.

It is possible for trainees to progress from Level 1 or Leaving Cert Applied programmes to PLC courses, which are certified at Level 2 by the NCVA and from there to third level courses in the Institutes of Technology.

6. Socio-economic characteristics of the target group and profile of participants

Early school leavers are at high risk of unemployment, difficulty with the law and alcohol and drug misuse, as well as experiencing low self-esteem, and major literacy, numeracy and other learning difficulties. As part of the development work prior to introducing guidance, counselling and psychological services support in 1998, a survey of centres was initiated by the National Co-ordinators. Results were analysed by the National Centre for Guidance in Education. 65 centres responded, outlining their views on the development of the new measure and the priority areas for support. 35% included guidance as an area needing additional support, while 88% and 66% respectively referred to the need for counselling and psychological services. Among those who indicated a specific need for counselling support, the following reasons were cited:

Counselling Need	%
Substance abuse and related issues (incl. Awaiting HIV test results) Dysfunctional family background Crisis pregnancy, lone parent, increased teenage sexuality Learning difficulties Low social skills and self esteem Personal relationships counselling Bereavement Counselling	28% 23% 9% 9% 8% 3% 3%

For psychological services, the reasons cited were as follows:

Psychological Need
Severe emotional/behavioural difficulties including offending, aggressive, threatening or violent behaviour Support for those who suffered physical sexual and/or emotional abuse Suicide and severe depression	25%   11% 8%

7. Provision of YOUTHREACH Places

Successive evaluations of the YOUTHREACH since 1996 were critical of a shortfall of places on the programme. Following the Mid-term Review of EU Structural Funds in 1998 a substantial expansion of places was implemented. The expansion was intended to

• deal with the backlog which had developed
• provide enough places to cater for those seeking progression
• extend the length of the programme for Travellers in line with that on YOUTHREACH, and
• allow for the duration of the programme to be extended where necessary to enable the Leaving Certificate Applied and other forms of relevant certification to be followed within a YOUTHREACH setting as one of the progression options.

The expansion occurred side by side with a rapid fall in unemployment, and a rapid increase in job opportunities even for the unskilled.

A District Approach is promoted, i.e. local consultation between all relevant interests to identify and prioritise area needs. This is to ensure complementarity between the work of VECs, FAS, youth services, Area Partnerships and other community providers in the delivery of out-of-school services for early school leavers. The District Approach provides for a local consultation process before any expansion of services or new provision is put in place under YOUTHREACH.

8. Take-up of places on the programme
 

FAS	Education	Total
Early School Leavers 1,865 Bridging Measures 1,334	YOUTHREACH 2,183 Travellers 661	4048 1995
Total 3,199	2,844	6,043

The buoyant labour market of 1999/2000 has generated new challenges for the programme. Centres report a higher turnover of young people and difficulties in retaining participants in full-time places in the face of the increasing demands of the labour market. Given their socio-economic background, it is not surprising that young people take up employment, however unstable. Arrangements are under way to introduce more flexible delivery options for the programme. It is considered vital that those who are tempted out of YOUTHREACH to enter work should be allowed continue their education and training on a part-time basis, so that they will not end up back where they started, unemployed and unqualified. Developments under the Back to Education Initiative, Bridging Training and Linked Work Experience will provide for an expansion of part-time options, or the redeployment of full time places to part-time mode where appropriate.

9. Good practice in YOUTHREACH

9.1 In the experience of YOUTHREACH, the key features of successful interventions with early school leavers are as follows:

• A focus on the holistic development of the individual, set in a learning environment which is safe, structured and challenging;
• a methodology/pedagogy which begins with the young person and places the emphasis on recognising and rewarding achievement rather than reinforcing failure. This is achieved through a process which is both participant-centred and participant-led, where the programme reflects trainees’ identified interests and needs. Participants and staff are equal partners in the learning process;
• flexibility (at all levels – management, relationships, curriculum) and programme duration based on need rather than time;
• staff who facilitate and animate and are themselves open to learning.
• a team approach where there is a consensus among staff on the centre’s objectives and how to achieve them, with consistent practice and a culture of self-appraisal review, and staff engage in a process of discussion and reach consensus on a mission statement, a set of centre/workshop objectives and the policies and practice which should underpin them;
• a strong community base and good contact with local agencies and an integrated area-based approach. This includes referral networks. There should be close contact between YOUTHREACH and local schools, FÁS, youth, health and welfare, probation, juvenile liaison and employment services, area based partnerships and other initiatives in the community. The cultural context of trainees and their communities should also be central to programme planning;
• national certification;
• provision of longitudinal supporting services – literacy and numeracy, Advocacy/mentoring, childcare, guidance, counselling and psychological services.

9.2 Programmes are most effective if organised on the basis of a curricular matrix in which each teacher or trainer is implementing a range of trans-disciplinary curricular objectives (such as communications skills development, health and safety awareness, etc). In response to the observations of staff, who have identified a range of training needs in this area, the National Co-ordinators have placed increased emphasis on induction training and the development of integrated skills, including front-line guidance and literacy skills (see 10 below).

9.3 All YOUTHREACH centres integrate a substance abuse programme as an important part of the personal development element of YOUTHREACH. Programme practitioners have been included in training to use the ‘On My Own Two Feet’ pack. This issue is also central to Copping On (9.4).

9.4 The Copping On crime awareness programme is delivered in co-operation with the Garda Juvenile Liaison service on an ongoing basis. This programme encourages YOUTHREACH trainees, prisoners and ex-offenders to share their experiences, as well as developing close links between YOUTHREACH centres, youth workers and Juvenile Liaison Officers. The programme is aimed at helping young people to identify the factors which influence their decision-making (assertiveness, dealing with peer pressure, attitudes to crime, relationships, solving conflict, alcohol and drug abuse etc) understanding the justice system. A Resource Pack has been produced for staff providing the programme which features core skills within YOUTHREACH such as communications, group work, team approach, evaluation, co-operation with other agencies.

10. Programme Supports

10.1 Staff Training

Staff employed in YOUTHREACH come from a range of backgrounds, in teaching, training, industry, youth-work and social welfare. Evaluations of the programme have found that this mix has been critical to the success of the programme, resulting in a cross fertilisation of expertise from the different disciplines. Towards the support of practitioners, funds are made available for training on an annual basis. Under this umbrella, skill exchange workshops, seminars/conferences and training courses are funded. They focus on a range of themes relevant to the programme such as integration of literacy/numeracy into all subject areas, progression, management, staff development; drama, linking with other agencies, health and safety etc. Other developments include



• Training in front line guidance and counselling skills, initiated through Youthstart, led by the National Centre for Guidance in Education and advised by an inter-agency consortium. There has been a similar development in literacy integration, initiated by FAS and NALA and now including all the programme's various strands;
• national training for staff in programme assessment and certification arrangements and for the Leaving Certificate Applied;
• development of Certificate, Diploma and Degree courses in UL, DCU, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth in the field of training and adult and continuing education; the fees of staff with no formal pedagogical training are paid to enable them to attend these programmes on an inservice basis.

10.2 Guidance, Counselling and Psychological Supports

Funding was provided under the Mid Term Review of EU Structural Funds for psychological, guidance and counselling supports for early school leavers in Community Training Workshops, YOUTHREACH and Senior Traveller Training Centres. The new service is being implemented in line with the recommendations of an inter-agency Task Force established to recommend a framework for the initiative. The Task Force identified the need for a continuum of services based on the following spectrum of needs:



Initial orientation/gateway Vocational information/guidance Advocacy/mentoring on progression etc Front line counselling Expert counsellor educational psychologist clinical psychologist psychiatric help

 
While providers were asked to prioritise from within this spectrum, the vast majority of applications identified counselling and psychological services as the key priorities in their areas, with the other aspects of the service being delivered by staff within the centre, by mentors in the Youth service or by the FÁS Advocate service (see below). Provision has been organised on the basis of regional clusters, with YOUTHREACH, Traveller and Community Training Workshops generally pooling resources to ensure shared access to professional counselling and psychological services, timetabled to visit each centre, and overseen by a steering committee at local level. The service also provides limited support for staff on the programmes.

FÁS has put in place a network of full-time Advocates, whose role is to provide counselling and support trainees’ referral, progression and placement options. The Advocates are regionally based, and provide a service for the VEC YOUTHREACH centres, the Community Training Workshops and the Senior Traveller Training Centres in their catchment areas. This measure was evaluated in 1999 and is being mainstreamed in accordance with recommendations.

10.3 Childcare

The Department of Education and Science has implemented a childcare measure to support access of parents to YOUTHREACH, Senior Traveller Training Centres and VTOS programmes for unemployed adults and early school leavers. VECs have been allocated funds to be used for

• direct provision of crèche facilities;
• purchase of places on existing community or commercial crèches, subject to payment of a maximum of £50 per week per child and
• payment of childminders, subject to a maximum of £50 per child per week.

Some 420 children (346 parent participants) are benefiting from the measure at present. The funds provided complement those allocated by ADM, and the Department is working closely with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to ensure a co-ordinated approach in this area.

10. 4 Other supports for YOUTHREACH

• Support for the networking of centres through the National Association of YOUTHREACH Co-ordinators, the Irish Association of Community Training Organisations, and the National Association of Traveller Training Centres;
• The strong emphasis on ICT development that has been a characteristic of YOUTHREACH will be maintained. A Web-site has been established for the programme. It is intended that each centre and workshop will have its own Web-site in due course, with localised technical support. Centre staff are being trained in using the Internet and this will be used as a vehicle for networking and the dissemination of good practice and materials.

11. Mainstreaming Youthstart

Employment/Youthstart funded a range of projects between 1995 and 1999. YOUTHREACH was directly involved with a number of these projects, as well as a range of other innovations. In most respects, Youthstart affirmed best practice in YOUTHREACH and piloted extensions of the programme’s approach with more detached groups (socially, economically and geographically). Learning from Youthstart and parallel initiatives is being mainstreamed into YOUTHREACH where feasible, for example:

• the Pathways project for ex-offenders is being continued, supported by YOUTHREACH funding;
• the Kilkenny Youthlynx project has been integrated into YOUTHREACH;
• The Gateway process developed in collaboration with the National Youth Federation is being expanded within Community Training Workshops, and the FAS Advocate service is being mainstreamed
• Youthstart has been used to provide front line training in guidance and counselling skills for staff in YOUTHREACH
• The URBAN pilot of the Youth Training and Support Unit in Clondalkin has been mainstreamed within YOUTHREACH
• The Navan Hi-w@y Café programme is being continued.

12. Future Developments

A range of developments is envisaged in the spheres of education, training and employment services. They will significantly affect the environment in which YOUTHREACH operates. Over and above those already noted in the text, these include

12.1 Actions funded under the Employment and Human Resources Operational Programme of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 under the headings of labour market training and social inclusion.

These will include the Back to Education Initiative, the National Adult Literacy Strategy, Early School Leavers Progression, Sectoral Entry Training for Early School Leavers and Long-Term Unemployed, the School Completion Measure, and the Action Programme for the Unemployed.

These measures share a range of common objectives. They are intended to take account of the dynamic nature of the Irish labour market, and the need to offer more open, flexible opportunities for acquiring skills in general training and education, for example bridging programmes for those seeking entry to apprenticeship.

By way of example, the Back to Education Initiative was signalled in the Green Paper: Adult Education in an Era of Lifelong Learning and is now included in the National Development Plan. Its priority is to provide second chance options for young people and adults who left school with less than upper second level education. Provision will be modular, and will provide for the accumulation of credits towards qualifications. It is envisaged that courses will be provided in the mornings, at night, on weekends or on a sandwich basis in line with local demand. The objective is to ensure flexibility in the system to enable people to upgrade their skills, to attract those who do not access full-time programmes, and to facilitate the chance to combine the attainment of education and training qualifications with work or family responsibilities. As part of the arrangements barriers related to the progression of YOUTHREACH participants in the 18-20 age category which existed to date in the education sector are being removed. A sum of £1.027 billion has been provided for the period 2000-2006 for the Back to Education Initiative, comprising existing full-time PLC, VTOS and YOUTHREACH/Traveller programmes allied with a major expansion of part time options.

12.2 There will also be measures under the Regional Operational Programmes. Among these will be Childcare, Community Development and Family Support, the establishment of 'Probation and Development Centres in high risk communities', and youth service programmes funded through the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Justice Equality and Law Reform (Garda Juvenile Diversion Projects). The National Development Plan also encompasses measures funded under the Peace programme, and the Community Initiatives URBAN and EQUAL.

12.3 The Educational Welfare Bill.

At the time of writing, this is at Committee stage in the Dáil. When enacted it will raise the school leaving age to 16 or completion of three years post primary education and provide for the establishment of an educational welfare service to monitor attendance and intervene to support cases where pupils are at risk. Under the legislation, approved out-of-school education and training programmes, such as YOUTHREACH will be designated as meeting the requirements of the Act. The Act also provides for the sharing of data between relevant agencies for tracking, placement or research purposes. The development of an educational welfare service will have a key bearing on YOUTHREACH. It will ensure that those at risk are tracked systematically and enable data to be shared between the relevant agencies, and that the programme is part of the continuum of services to respond to these young people's needs.

12.4 The National Qualifications Authority

The National Qualifications Authority has been established by the Qualifications (Education and Training) Bill 1999. Under its remit, a single qualifications framework is to be established which will unify qualifications issued by a range of bodies. This will facilitate lifelong learning, and the accumulation and renewal of qualifications.