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

Youthreach, Ireland (http://www.youthreach.ie/)

In Ireland, one child in ten leaves school without qualifications and almost one in five leaves
without completing the leaving certificate. These young people are at particular risk in the labour
market: unemployment is 47.5 % for those who enter the labour market without qualifications,
compared with 9.6 % for those with a leaving certificate (National Development Plan
www.ndp.ie).
The Youthreach programme targets young people aged 15 to 20, who are alienated from the
formal system, economically disadvantaged, socially vulnerable and at risk of long-term
unemployment. Its primary target group is young people who are unemployed and have no
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qualifications from Junior Cycle ( ).
Youthreach offers a structured programme based on four key stages:
• induction/engagement: the young people’s needs are identified and an individual learning
plan is negotiated;
• foundation: young people are supported to overcome their learning difficulties, build
confidence and gain a range of competences essential for further learning and employment;
• progression: more specific support through education, training and work experience options;
• transition: young people prepare for their next phase of life, usually in work or in further
training or education.
During the engagement phase, a mentor is allocated to the young person (a member of the
Youthreach staff). This mentor offers pastoral care to the young person and, through the
development of a strong relationship, supports them to develop their confidence and motivation.
Before the individual learning plan is developed, students undertake a profiling exercise to help
them to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses and to formulate their own goals. The
individual action plan is then based on the strengths identified and builds on areas they enjoy
learning about, as well as working on areas of identified need. The plan describes the actions to
be taken to achieve the young person’s goals, including:
• academic or vocational options (subjects or courses to be studied, activities to be involved
in);
• support to be provided in the centre (e.g. individual counselling, guidance, work experience);
• local services or agencies that will be worked with (e.g. addiction counselling, money
management).
Through the provision of counselling and guidance, young people are able to explore their own
interests and identify their competences for future training and employment opportunities. The
learning goals set are realistic. This process allows young people to increase their self-esteem
and to become more confident in accessing further education and the labour market.

The individual plans are flexible and allow learners to work at their own pace. Learners and staff
are seen as equal partners in the programme, which encourages open dialogue between them.
The flexibility is extended to learners who decide they want to leave the programme to work: they
are offered the chance to continue their education and training on a part-time basis.

One of the key findings from Youthreach evaluations is the positive relationship between staff
and learners, which was ‘characterised by mutual learning and respect’. Linked to the overall
structure of the programme, the evaluations reported that ‘a positive climate is cultivated and
activities take place in a supportive and structured environment’ (Department for Education and
Science, Ireland, 2006).

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( ) Junior Cycle consists of the first three years of secondary level education for students aged 12
to 15 in Ireland.

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