Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service - now open to Candidates! The Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service (AVMS) has received Ministerial approval for candidate access. Candidates can apply online for Apprenticeship vacancies with a range of employers. Read more.

Job Information Sheets - available for download now! This month includes the high profile BT apprenticeships with a closing date of 19th Jan, in the School & College Leaver Vacancies & Apprenticeships info sheet. Plus many many more.

Activity Agreement Pilot - Great News!  The Activity Agreement Pilot has now been extended until April 2010 so thanks for all your work in helping make this happen.  The extension will be focussing on the hardest to reach young people and working closer with voluntary and non-statutory agencies.  This has also been mentioned in the Social Mobility White Paper: NEW OPPORTUNITIES Fair Chances for the Future.

Places are available on the Activity Agreement Project (AAP) and also on the September Guarantee Learner Voucher programme or with other sources of funding, so please refer now!!! Please see referral form and for further information Contact Bally Sappal (AAP Manager) or Joe Brooke-Smith (Projects Administrator) on 020 7938 8081. 

GLA youth apprenticeship opportunity – The Greater London Authority (GLA) Children and Young People's Unit are currently recruiting a youth (16 to 25) web content apprentice to work with the team.   

A new LGBT Youth Group - supported by Terrence Higgins Trust - for under 16 year olds will start on 3 February 2009 from 4.30-7.30pm. It will take place in North London, near the Caledonian Road. To find out more please email Tim or Jo  or call them on 0207 700 1323.

Prince’s Trust courses – The Prince’s Trust currently have two free courses: Get Into Media, which starts on 27 January 2009 for 2 weeks and Get Into Construction which starts on 19 January 2009 for 2 weeks.  

Red Recruit – The Red Cross are looking for people aged 15 to 25 who can use their social networking skills, to publicise their work.

South-Thames College - The new Wandsworth campus is in it's final stage of redevelopment. Please click here for open days and important information on courses moving form the Putney site to the new one.

Lets Get Tested – Terrence Higgins Trust has been working on a YouTube competition asking young people aged 15-25 to make a short film about getting tested for STIs and HIV.

BOOM! If you’re aged 16 – 25, BOOM! is a chance to volunteer and learn everything there is to know about making short films, video diaries, news bulletins, reports and mini-documentaries.

Cineclub, the young filmmakers network, train professional filmmakers and teachers to set up and run filmmaking workshops for young people.

Young London Music Council Survey – Sound Connections wants to develop and support a new Young Londoners' Music Council (YLMC).They have produced a short survey and would like to hear as many people’s views as possible.

Epoc Careers & Conferences - conferences for students hoping to enter the medical and legal professions.  Places are still available at Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Doctor Saturday 31 January 2009, 10.00am to 4.30pm, University College London and Improve Your Chances of Becoming a Lawyer Saturday 7 February 2009, 10:00am to 4:30pm, The College of Law, London. For more information and to apply, please visit the website.

£9m for young people to become social entrepreneurs – Funding and practical support will be available for young people to think of new ideas for positive activities on Friday and Saturday nights. Third Sector Organisations can apply by downloading application materials. 

Channel 4 are looking for people aged 18-24 years old for one day's filming, who can discuss the issues raised by their Year Dot 15's stories.  Successful applicants will need to be free on Sunday 1st Feb 2009. If you are interested please call 0207 9602009 or email yeardot@channel4.com or visit the website.

Employers and public sector to create 10,000 apprenticeship places – At least 10,000 apprenticeships will be created in spite of the contraction in the economy. Read full article.

On target for the September Guarantee – More 16 and 17 year olds have a chance to carry on in education or training than ever before, Government figures reveal.

New ambassador for young people in London – The Mayor of London has announced that James Cleverly will replace Ray Lewis who resigned last year.

The Draft Apprenticeships Bill – The House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Committee has published a report on the Draft Apprenticeships Bill. 
 
V to launch £10.5m volunteering initiative – Youth volunteering charity v is launching a £10.5m programme to allow 1,000 young people to volunteer full-time in the public sector. Read more.

Recording Positive Activities – The National Youth Agency has developed two guides for all staff responsible for the collection of positive activities data, (National Indicator 110),  particularly Connexions Personal Advisers. 

Disability equality – The Government has highlighted progress towards achieving its ambition of equality for disabled people by 2025.

Stand up to hatred – The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has launched a viral film 'The Hate Game' with six episodes recreating real-life incidents of hatred. All materials are free of charge by emailing enquiries@hmd.org.uk or calling 0845 838 1883.

Third sector skills and apprenticeships – Beatbullying has written an article for the Directory of Social Change around the lack of apprenticeships offered by third sector organisations.

Youth Homelessness – YMCA England has released their findings of a national report on youth homelessness.

How to involve children and young people in commissioning – Participation Works have published a guide on how to involve young people in commissioning.

Sleepin' Safe, Sexin' Safe – Fpa is running a new project promoting sexual health choices for homeless young people in the North East and London.

Tackling knives action programme – The number of teenagers admitted to hospital for knife or sharp instrument wounding in the nine Tackling Knives Action Programme police force areas in England fell by 27 per cent according to new figures published. Read more. 

Employers and public sector to create 10,000 apprenticeship places – At least 10,000 apprenticeships will be created in spite of the contraction in the economy. Read full article.

On target for the September Guarantee – More 16 and 17 year olds have a chance to carry on in education or training than ever before, Government figures reveal.

New ambassador for young people in London – The Mayor of London has announced that James Cleverly will replace Ray Lewis who resigned last year.

The Draft Apprenticeships Bill – The House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Committee has published a report on the Draft Apprenticeships Bill. 
 
V to launch £10.5m volunteering initiative – Youth volunteering charity v is launching a £10.5m programme to allow 1,000 young people to volunteer full-time in the public sector. Read more.

Recording Positive Activities – The National Youth Agency has developed two guides for all staff responsible for the collection of positive activities data, (National Indicator 110),  particularly Connexions Personal Advisers. 

Disability equality – The Government has highlighted progress towards achieving its ambition of equality for disabled people by 2025.

Stand up to hatred – The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has launched a viral film 'The Hate Game' with six episodes recreating real-life incidents of hatred. All materials are free of charge by emailing enquiries@hmd.org.uk or calling 0845 838 1883.

Third sector skills and apprenticeships – Beatbullying has written an article for the Directory of Social Change around the lack of apprenticeships offered by third sector organisations.

Youth Homelessness – YMCA England has released their findings of a national report on youth homelessness.

How to involve children and young people in commissioning – Participation Works have published a guide on how to involve young people in commissioning.

Sleepin' Safe, Sexin' Safe – Fpa is running a new project promoting sexual health choices for homeless young people in the North East and London.

Tackling knives action programme – The number of teenagers admitted to hospital for knife or sharp instrument wounding in the nine Tackling Knives Action Programme police force areas in England fell by 27 per cent according to new figures published. Read more. 

NEET Guidance and Case Studies – In May 2008, the DCSF published the NEET Toolkit. The DCSF website now sets out the role of each delivery partner, good practice tips and case studies to support delivery.

35,000 additional apprentices to help beat downturn – The Government will fund an additional 35,000 apprentices next year to strengthen the country’s competitiveness and help beat the downturn. 

Children’s services scrutiny toolkit – In response to feedback from councillors involved in overview and scrutiny, I&DeA have developed a simple toolkit.

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Member for Children's Services and the Director of Children's Services – This guidance has been updated - following consultation, it will replace the 2005 publication. This consultation will close on 10 February 2009.

Vision for 21st century children’s services – Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has set out his vision for 21st century children’s services.

The Children's Plan - One year on and progress report - These documents consolidate priorities for 2009.

Framework for economic wellbeing 11-19 – The new framework, Economic Wellbeing 11-19: career, work-related learning and enterprise replaces the nine-element framework for work-related learning developed in 2003. 

National Peer Mentoring programme launched – Young people will be mentors to their peers as Government announces £720,000 to help young people become more active citizens.

Volunteer fund to link the generations – Plans to recruit 20,000 volunteers who will link together the generations across Britain were announced in December 2008.

UK Border Agency commits to keeping children safe from harm – The welfare of children within Britain's immigration system is a number one priority, according to new UK Border Agency guidelines which came into force last week.

Independent Safeguarding Authority – The government is to hand control of vetting and barring of children's workers over to the newly created Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) from 20 January. This is restricted to referrals for List 99 and the Protection of Children Act list. Read more.

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2008 – This report marks the tenth anniversary of the first edition of monitoring poverty and social exclusion.

The Queen’s Speech in December set out the Government's legislative programme for the coming parliamentary session. Read more.

State of Healthcare 2008 – The Healthcare Commission have published the State of Healthcare 2008.

Aspirations and attainment in deprived communities - a joint project between the Social Exclusion Task Force, DCSF and Communities and Local Government.

Independent review of restraint in juvenile secure settings – The Ministers of State at the Ministry of Justice and the DCSF commissioned an independent review of restraint in juvenile secure settings.

Young black people and the criminal justice system – Detailed proposals for the delivery of improved outcomes for young black people have now been published.

World report on child injury prevention –This joint World Health Organisation (WHO) / UNICEF report is a plea to keep children and young people safe by promoting evidence-based injury prevention interventions and sustained investment by all sectors.

Our Stories - portrayal or betrayal? – Youth Act from the Citizenship Foundation has released 'Our Stories - portrayal or betrayal?' which examines the impact of the media's representation of young people on young people's social and political participation. 
 
Heads up: Mental health of children and young people – New Philanthropy Capital's report, Heads up, explores how charities are helping young people recover from mental health problems.

Violent extremism – The government has committed an extra £13.8m to programmes to stop young people turning to violent extremism. Read more.

Funding Guide to Workforce Development – NCVYS, in conjunction with NAVCA, have updated their Funding Guide to Workforce Development which is available to download on their website.

Children England – Children England is the new name of the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations (NCVCCO), read more.

2020 Children and Young People’s Workforce Strategy – In December 2008 the Government published the 2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy. The DCSF is keen to hear your views about the strategy and a consultation that was launched, which closes on the 10th March 2009.

The London CAF Protocol – Government Office for London (GOL) have been working with Children’s Trusts across London and with key stakeholders to develop a protocol that agrees common approaches to the use of the CAF across London. The deadline for responses is 20 January.
 

NEET Guidance and Case Studies – In May 2008, the DCSF published the NEET Toolkit. The DCSF website now sets out the role of each delivery partner, good practice tips and case studies to support delivery.

35,000 additional apprentices to help beat downturn – The Government will fund an additional 35,000 apprentices next year to strengthen the country’s competitiveness and help beat the downturn. 

Children’s services scrutiny toolkit – In response to feedback from councillors involved in overview and scrutiny, I&DeA have developed a simple toolkit.

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Member for Children's Services and the Director of Children's Services – This guidance has been updated - following consultation, it will replace the 2005 publication. This consultation will close on 10 February 2009.

Vision for 21st century children’s services – Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has set out his vision for 21st century children’s services.

The Children's Plan - One year on and progress report - These documents consolidate priorities for 2009.

Framework for economic wellbeing 11-19 – The new framework, Economic Wellbeing 11-19: career, work-related learning and enterprise replaces the nine-element framework for work-related learning developed in 2003. 

National Peer Mentoring programme launched – Young people will be mentors to their peers as Government announces £720,000 to help young people become more active citizens.

Volunteer fund to link the generations – Plans to recruit 20,000 volunteers who will link together the generations across Britain were announced in December 2008.

UK Border Agency commits to keeping children safe from harm – The welfare of children within Britain's immigration system is a number one priority, according to new UK Border Agency guidelines which came into force last week.

Independent Safeguarding Authority – The government is to hand control of vetting and barring of children's workers over to the newly created Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) from 20 January. This is restricted to referrals for List 99 and the Protection of Children Act list. Read more.

Monitoring poverty and social exclusion 2008 – This report marks the tenth anniversary of the first edition of monitoring poverty and social exclusion.

The Queen’s Speech in December set out the Government's legislative programme for the coming parliamentary session. Read more.

State of Healthcare 2008 – The Healthcare Commission have published the State of Healthcare 2008.

Aspirations and attainment in deprived communities - a joint project between the Social Exclusion Task Force, DCSF and Communities and Local Government.

Independent review of restraint in juvenile secure settings – The Ministers of State at the Ministry of Justice and the DCSF commissioned an independent review of restraint in juvenile secure settings.

Young black people and the criminal justice system – Detailed proposals for the delivery of improved outcomes for young black people have now been published.

World report on child injury prevention –This joint World Health Organisation (WHO) / UNICEF report is a plea to keep children and young people safe by promoting evidence-based injury prevention interventions and sustained investment by all sectors.

Our Stories - portrayal or betrayal? – Youth Act from the Citizenship Foundation has released 'Our Stories - portrayal or betrayal?' which examines the impact of the media's representation of young people on young people's social and political participation. 
 
Heads up: Mental health of children and young people – New Philanthropy Capital's report, Heads up, explores how charities are helping young people recover from mental health problems.

Violent extremism – The government has committed an extra £13.8m to programmes to stop young people turning to violent extremism. Read more.

Funding Guide to Workforce Development – NCVYS, in conjunction with NAVCA, have updated their Funding Guide to Workforce Development which is available to download on their website.

Children England – Children England is the new name of the National Council of Voluntary Child Care Organisations (NCVCCO), read more.

2020 Children and Young People’s Workforce Strategy – In December 2008 the Government published the 2020 Children and Young People's Workforce Strategy. The DCSF is keen to hear your views about the strategy and a consultation that was launched, which closes on the 10th March 2009.

The London CAF Protocol – Government Office for London (GOL) have been working with Children’s Trusts across London and with key stakeholders to develop a protocol that agrees common approaches to the use of the CAF across London. The deadline for responses is 20 January.
 

Working with young refugees and supporting their integration in school and the wider community – This free workshop will introduce the SHARED Futures DVD and training resources, a new DVD and resource pack for youth and community workers that supports the welcome and inclusion of refugees and other international new arrivals. This event will take place in London on 23 January 2009. For further information, please contact Diana Riaubiene on 020 8472 8947 or email reception@thetrinitycentre.org.

Creative Consultation with Young People – Artsplan is delivering this one day course on 29 January 2009 at Paddington Arts, London. For more information or to book a place, please contact the Artsplan Team or call 02380 682535.

Harmful traditional practices & the impact on African children – This is a one-day course from Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA) designed to highlight key harmful traditional practices in many African communities. This course will take place on 11 February 2009, but places are going fast, so please book as early as possible to avoid disappointment. To book a place or for further inquiries, please contact Elsie Till at AFRUCA on 0207 704 2261 or email training@afruca.org

Sexual Health & Teenage Pregnancy – Westminster Health Forum is hosting this seminar, which will take place in Westminster on 17 March 2009.

Working with young refugees and supporting their integration in school and the wider community – This free workshop will introduce the SHARED Futures DVD and training resources, a new DVD and resource pack for youth and community workers that supports the welcome and inclusion of refugees and other international new arrivals. This event will take place in London on 23 January 2009. For further information, please contact Diana Riaubiene on 020 8472 8947 or email reception@thetrinitycentre.org.

Creative Consultation with Young People – Artsplan is delivering this one day course on 29 January 2009 at Paddington Arts, London. For more information or to book a place, please contact the Artsplan Team or call 02380 682535.

Harmful traditional practices & the impact on African children – This is a one-day course from Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA) designed to highlight key harmful traditional practices in many African communities. This course will take place on 11 February 2009, but places are going fast, so please book as early as possible to avoid disappointment. To book a place or for further inquiries, please contact Elsie Till at AFRUCA on 0207 704 2261 or email training@afruca.org

Sexual Health & Teenage Pregnancy – Westminster Health Forum is hosting this seminar, which will take place in Westminster on 17 March 2009.

Communities and Local Government have released the document Digital exclusion profiling of vulnerable groups: Young People not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), which aims to understand group members' actual and potential interaction with technology.

As well as providing background information on young people in the NEET cohort the report identifies a number of strategies for engaging young people through technology. Section 9 of the report suggests that although the internet might provide a good gateway to access information, it was not necessarily considered a good way to access services. This was put down to several reasons including: difficulties with reading; difficulties in finding the information sought; and the inability to ask questions and obtain clear answers. It is therefore important to have ‘hooks’ to engage young people’s interest and where possible, to build confidence, using small steps and support throughout.

There is also gender-specific data, based on evidence from the Connexions Direct website that the majority of young people using the online evaluation forms were mainly female, and teenage boys, young people from ethnic minority backgrounds and young people with disabilities were minimal users of this facility.

Section 10 of the report provides a number of examples which might be able to help NEET young people access services. Although tastes and preferences within this group are obviously diverse and wide ranging, key messages include: keeping it simple; providing it in a ‘safe’ and comfortable environment; and making it widely accessible. Good specific examples of this include: Notschool.net, which provides home-based learning and enables family interaction; BBC Bitesize and MSN messaging service.

Digital technologies can thus help to engage NEETs, but must be available, free, offered in bite-size chunks and provided in parallel with people to support the user. Digital technologies cannot offer a magic solution to re-engaging NEETs, but will play an important part in the future NEETs support services. These services need long-term, stable funding; the various agencies should work in true partnership with shared goals, implementing services tailored to each individual, using a single, trusted intermediary wherever possible.

Click here to read a full copy of the report.

Communities and Local Government have released the document Digital exclusion profiling of vulnerable groups: Young People not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), which aims to understand group members' actual and potential interaction with technology.

As well as providing background information on young people in the NEET cohort the report identifies a number of strategies for engaging young people through technology. Section 9 of the report suggests that although the internet might provide a good gateway to access information, it was not necessarily considered a good way to access services. This was put down to several reasons including: difficulties with reading; difficulties in finding the information sought; and the inability to ask questions and obtain clear answers. It is therefore important to have ‘hooks’ to engage young people’s interest and where possible, to build confidence, using small steps and support throughout.

There is also gender-specific data, based on evidence from the Connexions Direct website that the majority of young people using the online evaluation forms were mainly female, and teenage boys, young people from ethnic minority backgrounds and young people with disabilities were minimal users of this facility.

Section 10 of the report provides a number of examples which might be able to help NEET young people access services. Although tastes and preferences within this group are obviously diverse and wide ranging, key messages include: keeping it simple; providing it in a ‘safe’ and comfortable environment; and making it widely accessible. Good specific examples of this include: Notschool.net, which provides home-based learning and enables family interaction; BBC Bitesize and MSN messaging service.

Digital technologies can thus help to engage NEETs, but must be available, free, offered in bite-size chunks and provided in parallel with people to support the user. Digital technologies cannot offer a magic solution to re-engaging NEETs, but will play an important part in the future NEETs support services. These services need long-term, stable funding; the various agencies should work in true partnership with shared goals, implementing services tailored to each individual, using a single, trusted intermediary wherever possible.

Click here to read a full copy of the report.

According to recent reports Ministers are increasingly concerned that the recession will lock young people out of the labour market and see a return to the youth unemployment that effected Britain in the 1980s.

In the early 80s new recruits and training programmes were often the first to go as companies tightened their belts. Some are predicting that 3 million will be out of work by the end of the year and at least 40% (1.25 million) will be under 25.

A report by economic consultancy Gavurin late last year predicted that all of London will suffer, but residents of Camden and Westminster would be amongst the worst hit by job losses. Financial services, retailing and hospitality are all shrinking in response to the credit crunch, but it takes up to three months for the effects to be felt directly on jobs. The impact of the recession is expected to be severe in boroughs, such as Westminster and Camden, which support many such businesses.

Job vacancies overall for young people do not seem to have been too badly hit (so far). A quick count of Connexions vacancies last month showed 125 went onto the LOIS system (www.lois.uk.net) across London compared to 124 in the same period last year. Perhaps it will take longer than three months for the effects of recession to hit the youth labour market in London.

The government was already committed to increasing spending on apprentices. When plans were unveiled nearly a year ago the drive was to enable the UK to compete in the “global skills race”. The Leitch review in 2006 revealed that the UK lags behind many competitors, particularly in lower and mid levels skills. An apprenticeship boost was seen as a crucial part of the strategy to improve the UKs skills. The National Apprenticeship Service was launched last year to drive programme and the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service (NAVMS) was due to begin this month (12th January).

On a visit to the Rolls Royce plant in Derby last week Gordon Brown and skills secretary, John Denham, announced that the number of apprentices in the public and private sector will increase by 35,000 at a cost of £140 million. John Denham said that to increase provision by 35,000 in a year (from 224,000 last year) would be ambitious at any time, let alone under the current circumstances.

Apprenticeships notified to Connexions across London and circulated via LOIS do seem to be holding up well so far. Opportunities from the likes of BT, Network Rail and British Gas have come through and many other large employers are saying they will start recruiting for Summer 09 soon. In the early 1980s many similar programmes were cut back or cancelled. However, if the ambitious targets for apprenticeships are to be met in London, more small and medium sized businesses, as well as more public sector opportunities, will need to come on board.

According to recent reports Ministers are increasingly concerned that the recession will lock young people out of the labour market and see a return to the youth unemployment that effected Britain in the 1980s.

In the early 80s new recruits and training programmes were often the first to go as companies tightened their belts. Some are predicting that 3 million will be out of work by the end of the year and at least 40% (1.25 million) will be under 25.

A report by economic consultancy Gavurin late last year predicted that all of London will suffer, but residents of Camden and Westminster would be amongst the worst hit by job losses. Financial services, retailing and hospitality are all shrinking in response to the credit crunch, but it takes up to three months for the effects to be felt directly on jobs. The impact of the recession is expected to be severe in boroughs, such as Westminster and Camden, which support many such businesses.

Job vacancies overall for young people do not seem to have been too badly hit (so far). A quick count of Connexions vacancies last month showed 125 went onto the LOIS system (www.lois.uk.net) across London compared to 124 in the same period last year. Perhaps it will take longer than three months for the effects of recession to hit the youth labour market in London.

The government was already committed to increasing spending on apprentices. When plans were unveiled nearly a year ago the drive was to enable the UK to compete in the “global skills race”. The Leitch review in 2006 revealed that the UK lags behind many competitors, particularly in lower and mid levels skills. An apprenticeship boost was seen as a crucial part of the strategy to improve the UKs skills. The National Apprenticeship Service was launched last year to drive programme and the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching Service (NAVMS) was due to begin this month (12th January).

On a visit to the Rolls Royce plant in Derby last week Gordon Brown and skills secretary, John Denham, announced that the number of apprentices in the public and private sector will increase by 35,000 at a cost of £140 million. John Denham said that to increase provision by 35,000 in a year (from 224,000 last year) would be ambitious at any time, let alone under the current circumstances.

Apprenticeships notified to Connexions across London and circulated via LOIS do seem to be holding up well so far. Opportunities from the likes of BT, Network Rail and British Gas have come through and many other large employers are saying they will start recruiting for Summer 09 soon. In the early 1980s many similar programmes were cut back or cancelled. However, if the ambitious targets for apprenticeships are to be met in London, more small and medium sized businesses, as well as more public sector opportunities, will need to come on board.