YETI meeting Thursday 6th June 2013 at The Goldsmith Centre, Letchworth

Present:Claire Feenan Youth Connexions (Chair), Emma ClarkYouth Connexions, Jane Devlin JCP, Hazel Brown Youth Connexions, Louise Collins Youth Connexions, Jackie Royal JCP, Joanne Martin HCS Career Ltd, Katrina Kozuch NHC, Sally Kettleborough NiTP, Lisa Steeples YMC Training, Louise Thornton JCP, Mark Pike Develop, Martin Gittings Ridgemond Training, Natalie Arculli TCHC, Ola Oluwole JCP, Sukhi Gill SPS Training Solutions, Terry Moore, Smart Training

Apologies:Vina Patel JCP, Daniel Guerra Oaklands College, Victoria Baldwin Youth Connexions, Tina Welcome Youth Connexions, Kevin Lowe NiTP, Dan Yusuf , The SSGroup

Key messages and action points - last meeting (7/3/13)

  • YETI set up at initial meeting countywide meeting in March to work towards reducing NEET figures and encourage closer working together arrangements and new ways of working between various providers, college, JCP and Youth Connexions.
  • There is a well established provider group led by Hazel Brown, Youth Connexions which will continue to meet in between more formal YETI meetings.

Good Practice sharing/new ideas to consider

  • Clarification by new providers of the type of provision that may be required. Smart Training will target particular sectors locally.Main NEET group are males 18-19 without GCSEs C in English and Maths interested in practical work eg warehouse, engineering crafts and construction.
  • Suggestion by Katrina Kozuch around use of a pop up theatre (lighting/sound/performance) to promote training provision. Katrina has seen this used very successfully in Portsmouth.

Action: Providers may want to consider if this is something they would be interested in running. Youth Connexions have facilities at Bowes Lyon in Stevenage that might be suitable for such a course and any interested provider should contact Judith Sutton, Youth Connexions Team manger if they wished to use these.

  • Suggestion around ‘take over weekends’. An example given was when NorthHertsCollege students arranged to ‘take over’ Holiday Inn and experience all job roles alongside staff there.
  • JCP idea around working with University of Herts and CountySports partners
  • JCP suggested various courses and training that might help to provide young people with valuable work skills or experience prior to joining a training programme: Prince’s Trust, Food hygiene, Greenskills with work experience through John O’Conner, Kickstart

Action: JCP to provide Youth Connexions with further suggestions of provision available for 18+ young people that can be mentioned as options.

  • JCP agreed to ensure that mandated appointments can be set up with young people if Youth Connexions are unable to contact them. Action: Youth Connexions Personal Advisers to flag up young people on caseloads who are not responding to help.
  • Skills for Work month will take place in Sept (16-24 age group) focusing on Grocery Institute – will coverareas ranging from farming to manufacture to retail.

Action: Jane Devlin to ensure further information available to YETI group in order that we can promote to young people

eg 3 day work experience with Morrisons. May include masterclasses that Youth Connexions staff could attend alongside JCP

  • JCP may be able to offer space for North Herts YCX Personal Advisers to work in Letchworth JCP once desk reorganisation is complete. In Stevenage some joint working has taken place.

Action: Emma Clark YCX to review with Vina Patel JCP in Stevenage

  • Updates given by all providers present on range of provision offered.

Action: Suggestion that YCX Stevenage to hold a team meeting at SPS (Pitman) training to look around premises – efficient use of time. Emma Clark to contact Sukhi Gill to arrange.

Gaps in provision/updates on new provision

  • Group felt that generally we have a wide range of provision on offer to young people within North Herts and Stevenage. The main issue is engaging demotivated young people and this can worsen as they become 18/19.
  • Mark Pike Develop outlined plans for Motor Vehicle training linked to BrandallsSchool initially. This will be a supported transition programme. Anticipated start date beginning of July – intention is to provider work experience and to establish links with both employers and other local providers

Next meeting: 17th October

Premises: Ridgemond Training Stevenage

Chair: Mark Pike