The Education and Skills Act 2008 legislated to raise the age of compulsory education or training to 18 years. This is to ensure every young person has the opportunity to gain skills and qualifications that enable them to progress onto higher education, employment and adulthood.
Part of this legislation is the guarantee that all young people leaving year 11 and year 12 have an offer of learning in the following September. Cambridgeshire County Council monitor and track which young people get that offer of learning. The council ensures that the number with an offer is as high as possible.
This statutory requirement does not mean that school leavers must continue with their Post 16 education in Secondary school. Post 16 education options include:
- Full or part time college
- Work based learning (with a training provider)
- Apprenticeships
- Traineeships
- Sixth forms
- Volunteering with part time study (accredited qualification)
Youth Progression Advisers
A Youth Progression Adviser provides information and support. They work with young people aged 15-18 (up to 25 with an EHCP) who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or are at risk of becoming NEET.
The Youth Progression Adviser and young person will agree what support is needed to assist them to make the right progression to transition into education, employment or training and progress onto adulthood.
The Youth Progression Adviser will complete an assessment around identifying barriers to accessing education, employment or training. They can then create a joint action plan with the young person to help them to work towards the young people making a successful transition.
For additional support, Youth Progression Advisers can help with referrals to partner services.
We have Youth Progression Advisers based all over the county and can support regardless of where the young person lives within Cambridgeshire.
To access support from a Youth Progression Adviser for a young person that is currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) then please click on the below link and complete our short referral form.
Client Researchers
Client Researchers contact young people in year 11 to find out their plans for the following September. They contact them again once they leave year 11 and at various times until the young person reaches the age of 18, or until 25 if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Contact will be by text, telephone, email, letter or outreach visits.
This is to identify young people’s current situation with employment and learning. It is also to find out if they need any help to find education, employment, learning opportunities or training.
Client Researchers will signpost to relevant other agencies including their Youth Progression Advisers, other Targeted Support Service roles, or partner agencies.
Youth Guarantee Trailblazer
Cambridgeshire County Council are a partner agency with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to help deliver parts of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer which currently runs until 31 March 2026.
The Trailblazer identifies and supports young adults aged 18-21 who are not in education, training or employment (NEET). To support with this, we have some additional resource in our Client Researcher and Youth Progression Adviser teams.
If you know a 18–21-year-old who is NEET and would like support, please complete the below form:
Referral for support from a Youth Progression Adviser
If you have any queries regarding the support offered or are a professional and want to contact us about support for young people who may be at risk of becoming NEET, please email YouthSupportCR@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
