Targeted youth support: government-funded training programme gives young people help and support to get into work, training or further education

Doncaster e2e (entry to employment) is a flexible government-funded training programme that gives young people help and support and the chance to try different activities and build confidence and skills before moving into a job, training or further education.

Why change was needed

As a pilot project, the pre-16 e2e programme needed evaluating. It was successfully increasing the self esteem and motivation of young people, but quantitative proof of its impact was required to improve the project and secure additional funding.

Action taken

Independent research organisation, QA Research, was commissioned by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council to evaluate the pilot. It adopted a mixed methodology involving focus groups and telephone interviews with young people and stakeholders (see below). This guaranteed input from those directly affected by the project and those that run it.

Focus groups with present users

The main emphasis of the evaluation was on the young people who receive support. Experts in communication and consultation with young people who face complex personal issues facilitated the sessions. The discussion groups used interactive evaluation techniques which ensured that young people were relaxed and able to add meaning to the final report

Telephone interviews with early leavers and past users

Telephone interviews with young people who had either left the programme early or completed the programme added great insight and influenced the final recommendations suggested by researchers

Telephone interviews with parents

Telephone interviews with parents/carers of young people were completed to seek their suggestions for improving the service and to identify the benefits to their children.

Telephone interviews with stakeholders

Telephone interviews were undertaken with learning mentors to gain a strategic overview of the programme and explore their perceptions of what has worked well, what has worked less well and how the programme could be improved. In-depth telephone interviews were conducted with referral and provider agencies to gain their views of the programme and examine the effectiveness of partnership working

Results of the evaluation

We have secured funding for a further two years and hope to recruit an additional mentor and greater numbers of learners from the research, say Jean Dolly, project manager.

The evaluation has given managers a greater understanding of the project and where additional resources should be placed - this will come through additional funding and increased staffing and through other improvements to the programme. As a result, more young people in Doncaster will benefit from improved services directed to meet their needs.

Click to read more good practice case studies related to the targeted youth support change process.