Page 54 - Guiding-at-risk-youth-through-learning-to-work-Lessons-from-across-Europe

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

with an opportunity to meet and work together. Danish vocational colleges
collaborate with primary school aged pupils, as young as third graders, to
familiarise them with vocational training options. In France, efforts have focused
on providing transition support for the most disadvantaged.
The French case study shows that creating networks in areas where the
rates of early school leaving tend to be high, can ensure an element of continuity
for young people during transition. This can help to identify students experiencing
difficulties and provide them with support to steer them to remaining in education
rather than dropping out of school). Additionally, it is possible that young people
do not receive appropriate or sufficient support at home to make decisions on
their education and progression. The networks provide information and advice to
young people, ensuring they have all they need for the process.
Guidance can also make a significant contribution when students choose a
future education pathway in the transition from lower secondary school to upper
secondary school. This is the stage when young people in many European
countries have to decide between vocational and academic study routes.
Guidance to support transition can help young people to make informed
decisions about their future career or simply by making young people feel more
at ease with change. Often, the right guidance at this stage can make the
difference between young people disengaging from school and staying on.
The review of European guidance and support in the transition from lower
secondary to upper secondary school around has shown that approaches vary.
While some countries offer bridging courses, others offer events and mentoring
to support transition, and some have introduced careers education into the
curriculum at lower secondary school level. Countries such as Denmark, Estonia,
Hungary and Slovenia offer bridging courses to increase the number of pupils
who continue their education at post-compulsory level. These courses enable
lower secondary school pupils who may not have achieved the required standard
or who are missing certain qualifications to progress to post-compulsory
education. The courses can also help pupils to mature and thus prepare them for
upper secondary school, giving them the confidence to progress.
Bridging courses vary in length from a few months to a year. Typically, they
aim to promote maturity in studies by making students more self-directed
learners through the development of general, technical and academic skills. They
also aim to develop maturity: in relation to work and careers by developing work-
related skills; personal maturity by providing opportunities to develop
communication skills, self-confidence and a sense of responsibility; and social
maturity by developing ‘people’ skills and awareness of the world outside school.

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