Post-16 destinations of young people who participated in the IFP

Key Findings:

• The majority (90 per cent) of young people who participated in IFP were

reported by their schools to have continued into further education or training after finishing Year 11, which exceeds the target for IFP partnerships of 75 per cent. Most had embarked on a course-based route (in a school sixth form or at an FE college or training provider), while a notable minority were following a work-based route, in an Apprenticeship, or other job with training. (Section 3.2)

• Two-thirds of young people undertaking a course post-16 were pursuing a

qualification that was at a higher level than the level of the course they had undertaken through IFP. (Section 3.3.6)

• Some young people appeared to have a continuing commitment to the

vocational area they studied through IFP. This is reflected in the finding that around two-fifths of those taking a qualification post-16 were taking a course that was in the same subject area as their IFP course. Furthermore, just over one fifth of young people who were in full-time employment post-16 were currently employed in the vocational area that they had studied through the IFP. (Sections 3.3.6 and 3.2)

• A range of variables emerged as being influential on young people’s post- 16 destination, including their experience pre-16, through IFP. Students who had taken a GCSE in a vocational subject through the IFP had an increased probability of continuing into further education or training post- 16, while those who had taken a GNVQ had a decreased probability. Furthermore, students who had taken their IFP course out of school, and those who had undertaken an NVQ pre-16, were significantly more likely to have continued into further education at an FE college or training provider. (Section 3.4.4)

• Just over two-fifths of young people reported that the IFP had influenced

their choice of post-16 destination and, indeed, eight per cent felt that their IFP course had been the most influential factor on their post-16 choice. Those who had taken an NVQ or GNVQ through IFP, and those with lower levels of attainment at key stage 3, were significantly more likely to have found IFP influential. Those young people who had not continued into further learning after Year 11 were less likely to have talked to a school teacher or college tutor about their post-16 plans than respondents overall. (Section 3.4.3)

• A notable minority of young people felt that they would have made an

alternative post-16 choice if they had not participated in IFP. Eight per cent felt that they would have been employed, rather than in further education or training, if they had not been involved in IFP, which suggests that IFP might have encouraged these young people to consider further education, rather than employment post-16. (Section 3.4.3)

• The majority of young people, particularly those who had continued into further education or training, were positive about what they were doing post-16. However, nearly half of young people would have liked more help and guidance in deciding what to do after Year 11, particularly in relation to exploring which careers might suit their skills, abilities and interests. (Sections 3.2.1 and 3.4.3)

• Young people who were in further education or training, particularly those

in an Apprenticeship post-16, were more positive about their post-16 destination than those who were in alternative destinations. Young people who were not satisfied with their post-16 destination were more likely to be in a job without training. (Section 3.2.1)

• Just over a third of young people stated that they were considering

continuing into higher education. Although students currently taking NVQs, GNVQs and other vocational qualifications were less likely to report continuing into higher education (HE), a notable minority were considering this option. (Section 3.5)

3.1 Introduction

As outlined in Chapter 1, one of the targets of the IFP is that three-quarters of participants should progress into further education or training. This chapter examines the extent to which this objective has been achieved for the first cohort of IFP, and presents findings relating to:

• the main types of post-16 destinations for a sample of students as reported

by schools, and the factors which appeared to influence these destinations

• the relationship between students’ pre-16 IFP courses and their post-16

destinations, for a sample of students who responded to the post-16 survey

• the longer-term plans of the sample of students who responded to the post-

16 survey.

This chapter draws on data provided by schools on individual students’ destinations after finishing Year 11, collected in autumn 2004, and responses from a sample of young people to a post-16 survey, carried out in December 2004. It is important to note that the young people in the two datasets are not matched, therefore, these findings from each are reported separately.

3.2 Location and type of destination post-16

Table 3.1 summarises the post-16 destinations information provided by 197 schools in autumn 2004. These schools provided information on the post-16 destinations of 2,831 young people who were involved in the first cohort of IFP. In addition, there were a further 638 young people, for whom schools reported that their post-16 destinations were ‘unknown’. There were also 1,678 young people who had participated in IFP in these schools, for whom

schools did not provide any details of their post-16 destinations, which represented 33 per cent of 5,147 young people in the responding schools. These young people were, therefore, not included in the analysis of post-16 destinations.

As can be seen in the table below, the majority of young people who participated in IFP were said to have continued in education or training post- 16. More than half of the young people (51 per cent) were reported to be taking a course at a FE college, while a quarter were taking a course at a school sixth form. Six per cent of young people (166 individuals) were said to have embarked on an Apprenticeship, while the same proportion were in the category ‘other job with training’, and three per cent were taking a course at a training provider. Only a small proportion of young people were not in work (four per cent) or looking after their home or family (less than one per cent).

Table 3.1 Young people’s destinations post-16: reported by schools

Destination %

FE college 51

School sixth form 25

Apprenticeship 6

Other job with training 6

Training provider 3

Job without training 5

Not in work 4

Looking after family/home <1

Something else 1

N= 2831