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Communities for Work (CfW) is a voluntary programme to help those adults furthest away from the labour market into employment. The programme targets long term unemployed and economically inactive adults and 16-24 year olds not in employment education or training. It seeks to increase their employability and to move into or closer to employment. The evaluation has been delivered over three phases between October 2016 and June 2018. The first two reports were published in April and December 2017. The first report outlines the theory of change and the inherent logic model underpinning CfW. The second report assesses how the programme was set up and how it is operating. The third report builds on the theory of change to assess the emerging outcomes and impacts of the programme.

The methods included an online survey of front line delivery staff, interviews with operational managers across the Welsh Government, the DWP and Lead Delivery Bodies, reviewing the database of participants and qualitative fieldwork in 19 cluster areas.

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This report examines experiences in providing educational aid to young people in fragile situations. The study analyses experiences with three different, yet overlapping forms of education supported by a variety of multilateral and bilateral donors and agencies, as well as [non-governmental organisations] NGOs: secondary schooling; accelerated learning/second chance education; and vocational/technical skills education. The research has been directed by the following objectives: (1) assessing the impact of educational interventions for youth (specifically formal secondary schooling, second chance/accelerated learning and vocational training) in preparing for and ensuring work and income opportunities, as well as further education; (2) assessing educational interventions in terms of their ability to reduce violence, challenge the inequalities underpinning conflicts and creating new values, ideals and social relations; and (3) based on the above, discussing what practices support peace-making, state-building and young people's involvement in these processes. Based on the academic literature, reviews and evaluations, secondary literature, and expert and practitioner interviews, the report discusses the available impact documentation and the main lessons learned from educational programs aimed at young people in fragile situations.

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The Brotherhood of St Laurence’s 2010 Community VCAL (CVCAL) program was tailored for young people aged 15 to 18 who had experienced barriers to education, often leading to expulsion or ‘exiting’ from mainstream schools. Located in Frankston, the program delivered the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning [VCAL] - a Years 11-12 certificate course which combines classroom tuition with vocational training and work placements - in a community setting rather than a school. The evaluation of its inaugural year found that, notwithstanding some challenges, the 2010 BSL-CVCAL program made a significant difference to the lives of most of its students.

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An apprenticeship scheme, developed by the Southampton Skills Development Zone (SSDZ), has involved an innovative attempt by the four public sector employers represented on the SSDZ Board to work with partners to create new training and employment opportunities for local unemployed 18 to 25 year olds. A team from the [Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies] LLAKES Centre undertook research into the scheme from August 2010 to December 2011. The research aims included: the development of an evidence base for the apprenticeship scheme, with information on the numbers starting and completing their apprenticeships, and being offered permanent contracts with their employers; the provision of accounts of the experiences of all the major stakeholders of the scheme and their perceptions of its strengths and weaknesses; and the identification of the key features of the scheme, and an analysis of its perceived benefits which can contribute to its dissemination and expansion.

Published abstract from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) website. Show less

Strong literacy skills are a requirement for full engagement in Canadian society. More than just reading and writing, literacy encompasses a broad range of ways of engaging with information and communicating with others. The study presented in this report aimed to evaluate a community-based literacy project in Montreal - the Writers in the Community (WIC) program. WIC, run in partnership by the Quebec Writers' Federation (QWF) and The Centre for Literacy, is designed to expose marginalized teenagers and youth who have been left out of the artistic and social mainstreams to professional writers who present them with opportunities to engage in creative writing.

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The 2008 White Paper, 'Back on Track: a strategy for modernising alternative provision for young people', set out a plan to transform the quality of alternative education for those who are excluded from, or who for some other reason are unable to attend school. This report sets out the findings from research into the Back on Track alternative provision pilots. The overarching aim was to develop insights from the 12 specifically funded projects as part of the Back on Track pilot program to investigate what can work in alternative provision, how and for whom, in order to advance understandings and inform future policy and practice. To achieve this, the study focused on developing knowledge through the varying experiences of the Back on Track pilots in relation to: the structure, content and operation of the alternative provision pilot projects; the key ingredients of delivery that lead to effective alternative provision in the pilot projects; and the outcomes, impacts and achievements of the alternative provision pilot projects.

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EDC's application for the EQUIP 3 Bangladesh Youth Employment Pilot Project focuses on achieving goals that [United States Agency for International Development] USAID/Bangladesh identified in the RFA for this activity: to develop a model for youth employment/employability activities that link best practices in youth development to demand-side activities in pro-poor private sector competitiveness and value chain development; and to train and place 360 youth in jobs in an eighteen-month pilot project implementation period. Our proposal summarizes the findings of a project assessment, describes our project design and the principles of our approach. It also provides implementation and staffing plans, an organization chart, project monitoring and evaluation plan.

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Having a child at a young age can disrupt education and increase the barriers to finding and keeping a job, potentially leading to long-term dependence on welfare and poorer life outcomes for caregivers and their children (Department of Social Services, 2016). Evidence indicates that young parents often experience complex and pre-existing challenges, such as intergenerational cycles of disadvantage, unhealthy relationships, insecure or unsafe housing, mental ill health and distress, domestic violence and systemic barriers such as discrimination and exclusion.

The Career Readiness for Young Parents (CRFYP) program - a Commonwealth-funded project under the Department of Social Services (DSS) Try, Test and Learn Fund and delivered by Bridging the Gap - seeks to empower young parents to address barriers to their employment and gain critical skills for future work. The program paired young parents with a facilitator who supported them through the processes of addressing non-vocational and vocational barriers, identifying a training course or career, searching for work and preparing for employment. The program also provided access to free childcare and transport to program activities, along with financial support for study, referrals and living expenses if necessary. The Centre for Social Impact at the University of Western Australia (UWA) was contracted by Bridging the Gap to evaluate the program and assess its success in achieving its aims. The report found that participants experience a high degree of satisfaction with the program. The multi-pronged approach, along with the dedication and mentoring skills of the facilitators, proved vital to the success of the program.

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The evaluation of BoysTown's alternative learning program in Port Pirie, South Australia, found the service to be having an invaluable impact on young people living in the region, in relation to both tangible and intangible outcome measures. During the 12 month evaluation period (August 2011-September 2012), the program provided services to 52 young people who were either at risk or had already disengaged from mainstream education, most of whom were from disadvantaged backgrounds and faced multiple and/or complex barriers to learning.

The program was found to be effective in either reengaging young people with mainstream education or transitioning young people into work, and developing their personal resilience and capabilities. This evaluation highlights the factors that are believed to have enabled the program's success. It also identifies a number of important challenges faced by those involved in delivering and funding the program.

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There is a widespread current perception that being ‘NEET’ (not in employment, education or training) presents a major risk for young people of becoming socially excluded. One of the key foci for combating social exclusion thus aims at reducing the numbers of young people who are NEET. This is reflected in the ‘programme theories’ of the Connexions service, whose effectiveness is measured in relation to targets for reducing the numbers of NEET young people. This paper argues, however, that ‘NEET’ is a problematic concept that defines young people by what they are not, and subsumes under a negatively-perceived label a heterogeneous mix of young people whose varied situations and difficulties are not conceptualised. Additionally, research evidence suggests that adherence to NEET-reduction targets encourages a ‘fire-fighting’ approach to working with young people rather than focusing support and intervention on areas where they may be most productive.

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