Page 109 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

Guiding at-risk youth through learning to work
Lessons from across Europe

• helping to remove barriers to learning and progression, such as substance abuse, teenage
pregnancy, bullying, money, health and youth offending;
• providing high-quality career related information, advice and guidance. The agencies also
help with problems such as barriers to employment, education or training.

The Connexions services are delivered primarily by a network of personal advisers who are
either contacted via a Connexions onestop shop or access point on the high street, or via a
school, or college (Joyce and White, 2004). Instead of delivering a blanket service to all young
people, personal advisers are expected to tailor their support to the young person’s needs. The
support services are agreed with individual head-teachers and college principals, to make sure
that they build on the work carried out by staff in schools and colleges. The level of support
needed varies considerably, ranging from information on learning and career options to in-depth,
one-to-one support over an extended period of time. Personal advisors are linked with other
support services so that they can refer young people to more specialist services where
necessary: this ensures that young people are no longer passed on from one agency to another
but there is continuity (Joyce and White, 2004).

The work of personal advisers is diverse and includes advice, guidance, information and support
on a range of education, training, employment and personal issues. Guidance is provided
through verbal and written advice or information, personalised action plans, referrals to a
specialist, and practical support.

In addition to personal advisers, the agency offers other interactive services. Connexions Direct
offers a more flexible and easily accessible multi-media service that complements the local, face-
to-face advice. The website (www.connexions-direct.com) offers quick access to information and
advice on a wide range of topics. Connexions advisers are available for confidential advice and
practical help via telephone, web chat, and e-mail or text message. Such advisers are based in a
central contact centre and available to support young people seven days a week, 18 hours a day
(from 8am to 2am).

According to several surveys carried out among customers of Connexions, the majority of young
people contact Connexions to discuss work or learning issues, although the number of young
people who want to discuss personal matters (e.g. families, mental health, money, etc.) is on the
increase. This is thought to be a consequence of increased confidence in raising such matters
with the advisor and an increased knowledge regarding the remit of the Connexions service.

During its eight years of service the scope of Connexions has increased and it has become a
brand that is recognised by young people. Personal services provided by advisors, together with
more flexible delivery methods (Internet, text messages, call centres), ensure access. The call
centre receives around 25 000 telephone calls a month and the websites has nearly 600 000
visitors per month (Lambley, 2007).

The 2004 evaluation concluded that nine out of ten young people (91 %) were very or fairly
satisfied about the service they received at Connexions, both in terms of the advice and support
as well as how they view the adviser (Joyce and White, 2004). Connexions service is said to
have influenced the way young people participated in education. The customer satisfaction
survey, carried out in 2004, found that two-thirds of beneficiaries (67 %) reported that
Connexions ‘had helped them to either decide what to do or have a better idea about what they
could do’ (Brunwin et al., 2005). Generally, it was felt that Connexions’ primary contribution in
education was that it helped young people to overcome a range of education related difficulties
(e.g. helped young people to return to education by getting them in touch with teaching staff and
other specialist workers). In terms of personal benefits, according to the survey the service of
Connexions had produced a range of benefits for young people, such as increased confidence
levels, improved interpersonal skills, a positive change in behaviour or attitude, and improvement
in personal circumstances.

Based on information from the Connexions website (http://www.connexions-direct.com/) and an evaluation
report: Joyce, Lucy; White, Clarissa. Assessing Connexions: qualitative research with young people.
Research report No. 577. Department for Education and Skills, 2004.

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