NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR 16 – 18 YEAR OLDS

Tuesday 16 August 2005

Douglas Carswell, Member of Parliament for Harwich, visited TBG Learning Tendring in Clacton today (Tuesday 16 August) to learn about its success. TBG Learning, an independent training provider, has just been awarded a new contract by Learning and Skills Council, Essex to increase the number of places for unemployed 16 – 18 year olds on its ‘entry 2 employment’ programme this Autumn.

Many young people will be able to join the e2e programme locally. It is specifically designed for school leavers who have no qualifications or who might be disappointed with their GCSE exam results and do not want to continue into further education at this stage.

e2e has been run successfully by TBG Learning, Tendring since its national launch in 2004 and is designed to build confidence, increase skills including literacy/numeracy/IT and develop vocational experience through ‘work tasters’ with local employers.

TBG Learning Centres in Tendring and Colchester achieved a success rate of 75% in the past twelve months in progressing young e2e learners into further education, employment, employment with training or Apprenticeships – an achievement rate of 37% higher than the national average. Its successful formula is founded on building e2e around the needs of the learners and removing any barriers they have previously experienced.

Douglas Carswell MP met three learners who have just signed up to the e2e programme. These were Carrie-ann Turner (18) from Harwich, Kimberley Warne (17) from Clacton and Chris King (18) from Clacton.

He was also introduced to Teaching Assistants from local schools that have been improving their standards of literacy and numeracy and taking tests for National Certificates online at the Learndirect suite.

Susan Palmer, a Teaching Assistant at Brooklands Primary School in Brantham has just achieved her Literacy Level 2 certificate which she needs to train for the new Higher Level Teaching Assistant qualification. Emma Mann, a Teaching Assistant from Holland Haven School, had achieved her Level 1 certificate in Numeracy and is studying for a Social Sciences degree.