Page 147 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

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

absence of professional guidance, but access to formal guidance should be
available to all, especially those at-risk. Smooth and rapid education-to-work
transitions are likely to become increasingly important as the EU faces a decline
in its working-age population from 2020 (as indicated in the European
Commission’s Communication on New skills for new jobs).
The conclusions concern the three specific themes of this study; preventive
approaches, reintegration measures and working-life familiarisation.

7.1. Preventive approaches

Successful preventive approaches take a long-term view, are systematic and
comprehensive, and are adequately targeted, funded and resourced. Early
interventions, as soon as signs of difficulties are detected, are critical to avoid the
cumulative development of problems that increase the chances of the young
person dropping out. It is increasingly argued that prevention begins with
providing high quality pre-school education, accessible for all.
Early interventions in the school context work through careful monitoring of
young people’s attendance, behaviour and achievement patterns. Where
underachievement or poor behaviour and attendance patterns are identified,
these should first be addressed using the resources available at the school. If
unsuccessful, bespoke support can be accessed through support networks such
as counsellors, mediation services, careers information centres, outreach
workers, mentors and peer support systems. The decisive feature that underpins
this work is the fact that the support should not be forced on the young person
and the guidance provided is high quality, multi-dimensional, impartial and
person-centred.
As the case study and literature evidence demonstrates, effective preventive
approaches focus on guiding young people through key transition points, such as
supporting transition from one level of education to another, and into
employment. A relationship with a trusted support worker, such as a mentor or a
personal adviser, is one of the most effective ways of helping a young person
through a transition point. Such support, however, is not available to many young
people due to the high delivery costs.
Area-based approaches have the potential for reducing the level of early
school leaving, although the criticism levied at them is that the funding tends to
be spread too thinly to make a real impact. The Dutch area-based approach,
which offers secondary schools financial incentives to introduce activities
supporting school completion, seems effective. The activity is centred around

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