Engaging all young people in meaningful learning after 16: a survey

This report presents the views, experiences and aspirations of young people to explore how they can be more meaningfully engaged in learning after 16. The findings are based on a telephone survey carried out with 1,021 young people in England aged 14-18. The overall picture across a range of measures is positive, with most young people describing themselves as performing very or fairly well and feeling able to improve their situation. Overall attitudes to school are upbeat and the majority of young people have formulated their career aspirations. However, one in 10 young people say that they will drop out or have considered dropping out from their current situation, rising to one in five young people in different forms of post-16 education and those with a disability. The top four suggestions from young people to make learning more attractive so that all can take part and succeed are: make learning more fun and enjoyable; make a better range of subjects available that are suitable for everyone; make learning more practical/hands-on, and offer more help, advice, support and guidance. Inequalities in prospects are more marked for younger workers than for the previous generation. Although educational qualifications and training are linked to improved job prospects, many individuals are upwardly mobile without such credentials.

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