16-18 ESOL course spaces at City and Islington College - spaces are available on the 16-18 ESOL course based at the Centre for Lifelong Learning. Previous students have successfully, progressed onto the Sixth Form Centre, the Centre for Applied Sciences and the Centre for Business Arts and Technology. Students are supported by a dedicated Personal Adviser and a full time Youth Worker. Students can come down to the college to see Andy Fairhurst, the curriculum manager 020 7704 7214 or Annelies Kramer 020 7704 7267.

Job Information Sheets - for September are now available to view and download. Vacancies this month include Home Carer Apprenticeship, Trainee Chef,  Trainee Accountant and many more.

Post Exam results useful information - For advice and information on where to go, what to do next, for school leavers and graduates, visit the following sites: Directgov What’s Next; National Exam Results Helpline from Connexions Direct; UCAS Clearing or Telegraph – Clearing guide.

Spaces available on the Activity Agreement Pilot - The AAP continues to focus on the hardest to reach and hardest to help including those young people in receipt of JSA, vulnerable young people and those who have been NEET for 26 weeks.  Please see referral form for further information and contact your local AAP PA. Homeless Specialist AAP PA, Rebecca Townesend is working closely with hostels and young people in temporary accommodation and can be contacted, if you would like to make a referral.

Get into Logistics programme 2009 - The Princes Trust will be running a 4 week programme for young people interested in working in the logistics industry. This course is available to young people who live in the Greater London Boroughs. For more information click here.

SPEAR course - Kensington and Chelsea - this is an employment preparation course for young people aged 16-24, currently not in employment, but are serious about finding long-term careers which suit them.

IT Apprenticeships Zenos Academy - this is available to young people 16-18 who want a career in IT. For more information, application form or the course guide click here.

Community Kitchens Project – Free life skills course running throughout September and October. Young people aged 13-18 can learn about keeping healthy by cooking and eating healthy food, and exercising. 

Big Create does … Fashion (26th September) - The V&A museum is hosting this free fashion event for young people aged 14-19 with an ambition to work in the fashion industry.

Orange Rockcorps has now opened registration for their September intake. Following four hours of volunteering the participants get an exclusive gig ticket (which in September will be in the Royal Albert Hall).

Staying Positive workshops for young people aged 12-18 with any long term health condition, by other young people aged 14-25. Looking at a host of skills; helping confidence, meeting others with similar experiences and improving communication skills; workshops are free and EPPCIP can help with travel, click here for more.

Other opportunities

UnLtd Sport Relief Awards - Funding programme for 11-21 year olds, who have a passion for sport and the arts and want to use it to bring respect and understanding to their communities, by setting up their own projects.

Apprenticeship Survey - Short survey on apprentice pay rates to help understand the choices young people make about their future employment and education. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and answers are confidential.

Design a Logo – Competition for young people under 25 to design a new Logo. There will also be an event on 9 September for all entrants to use film equipment and computers to make a short film about their logo entry - all for free. Please see the attached flyer for details or email contact@iars.org.uk.

The Spirit of London Awards - Young people aged five to 25 are being honoured in categories such as Community Champion, Young Hero, and Achievement through Sport, Music Arts and Education. Nominations close on the 30 September. Visit the site for more information and to nominate.

Screen Skills: BBC Blast – Young people aged 16-19 could win £3000 to make a TV programme with the help of BAFTA mentors and have it shown on BBC. Submit videos by 30 September.

Urban Guides is a training and mentoring programme aimed at young people who want to become urban tour guides conducting local heritage walks, guided town centre tours, supporting and entertaining local, regional, national and international tourists who visit East London. Contact changecproject@aol.com for more information.

Refugee Council – Information Service – An online resource (subscription only) containing comprehensive information on the entire asylum process from beginning to end. Also useful is the multilingual website.

National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) nationally and regionally, would like to hear about good news/case-studies on apprenticeships.  If you have anything that you would like to share please e-mail Sarah Hope.

A longitudinal study of Further Education – Report by the Learning and Skills Council has found most college learners believe their course played an important role in getting a job. The report is the result of a survey of learners.

ASB Online – An online resource providing a London-wide directory of diversion and support schemes for young people, searchable by client group, activity, borough and via Google maps which will be going online in the autumn. 

Lawyers for young people - The Children's Society is piloting an internet and phone service offering legal advice to young people.  The service, Lawyers for young people, is aimed at all young people but will focus particularly on ensuring the most vulnerable have easier access to appropriate legal advice than is currently available.  The service is being piloted in Lambeth, Camden and Colchester, with a full nationwide roll out scheduled from April 2010 onwards.

Care to Learn 2009/10 application forms - Additional stocks have been ordered and will be despatched on 11th September. Click here to read more.

Quick Reference Guide for Free Childcare for Training and Learning for Work - has been updated and is on the LSC website. The Guide gives an overview of the key eligibility criteria for the scheme and key information of what the scheme offers to learners, as well as details of where to find more information.

Youth Unemployment - National statistics were released and young people are among the worst affected. There have been several reports over the past few days about unemployment amongst 16-24 year olds, and the creation of a ‘lost generation’. Read articles from the BBC and CYP Now. 

The impact of the 14–19 curriculum reforms on higher education - Policy briefing explaining the changes and the ways universities are both supporting developments and preparing for their impact on the sector.

Common Core consultation - The Children’s Workforce Development Council is consulting on refreshing the common core. Take part here. 

Section 52 Outturn statements 2008-09 - Local authorities are expected to provide expenditure on: positive activities for young people; positive activities controlled or shaped by young people; positive activities for young people on Friday and Saturday nights; youth work; and all expenditure on the delivery of Connexions services. Read more here.

Hidden Talents: re-engaging young people – Paper published by the LGA about the number of NEET Young People not reaching their potential and how to rectify this.

Implementation of 14–19 reforms, including the introduction of Diplomas – Report published evaluating progress made in 14-19 reforms, since the last report in 2007, with particular focus on how successful the introduction of the diploma has been.

CBI has proposed a 5 point plan to tackle youth unemployment. Under the CBI’s apprenticeship proposal, £125m of the government’s £500m recruitment subsidy fund to help the unemployed would be used to subsidise 50,000 new apprenticeships, read more.

NEET Statistics quarterly brief released with latest statistics available on NEET young people in England from the DCSF 16-18 Participation SFR, the Labour Force Survey, regional NEET figures and a segmentation using Connexions data.

Second chances: re-engaging young people in education and training - Barnardos report on experiences of NEET young people who have used their services, highlighting good practice in working with NEET young people.

DCSF 14-19 Reform Case Studies – Search function on the DCSF website is allowing 14-19 reform case studies by category. If you have a case study you would like to submit, click here. 

NI 51- Effectiveness of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) - New Indicator in the NI Set; measuring key aspects of service provision that should be in place locally to effectively meet the needs of children and young people with mental health problems.

Impact of ContactPoint will be tracked by annual survey - Launched to track the progress of the government's controversial children's database ContactPoint. The £224m database, which will hold the records of 11 million children, is due to launch nationally in the autumn. Read more here.

Young People and Money (22 September) – Free one day course aimed at youth information/advice workers to develop their skills, knowledge and confidence in assisting young people make more sense of their money and increase their financial capability.

VRQ Level 02 – Course offered by Youthforce, gain a level 2 qualification in Youth Work. Taking place in Hove in November. Contact joan@youthforce.co.uk for more information. Places are limited and the cost - £950.

Logistics (the movement of goods to the consumer) is not one of London’s largest employment sectors. However, the sector does employ many low-qualified male workers – a category of young people who often struggle to find work in the central London area.

Non-managerial jobs in a typical logistics company:

The logistics labour force in London is relatively less qualified than London as a whole. It has more of workers in manager, operative and elementary occupations and less in professional occupations than London’s labour force. Skills shortages in the sector are primarily literacy, customer handling and oral and written communication. Logistics is low paid when compared to other sectors, although this is partly due to a lower-skilled workforce and low skilled workers can earn more in logistics than in other sectors. 

There is a concentration of male employees in the sector, only 24 per cent of workers being female, compared to 43 per cent for all industries – only construction and other transport industries employ a higher proportion of males. 

Looking to the future, increased use of river and rail-based freight could increase the significance of this sector to central London.