The ESF LEAP Project provides £2.3 million of extra support across the Thames Valley for young people who are NEET or at risk of NEET, both while they are in education and after they have left compulsory education.

What is ESF?

The European Social Fund (ESF) is funding from the
European Union designed to improve the skills of the
workforce and help people who are having difficulty
finding work. This money is distributed by the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) to the co-financing organisations in the region:

• Learning and Skills Council
• Jobcentre Plus
• South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

ESF LEAP (Localities, Engagement, Achievement, Progression) Project 
SO1 – Tailored Training for Hard to Reach Groups

Background to the Project

Connexions Berkshire is the lead organisation with Connexions Milton Keynes, Connexions Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

• The project aims to provide personal development and employability skills to young people aged 14 – 19 who, because of their more complex or personal needs, have not achieved their full potential
• They will either be in the NEET group or at risk of becoming part of this group
• A high proportion are likely to be recorded as being School Action Plus or have a statement of special educational needs
• Priority groups are young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and/or health conditions with a particular focus on those with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD), teenage parents, truants, looked-after children and those leaving care, offenders/ex-offenders and travellers

Element 1 should include:

• Roll-on, roll-off individualised programmes tailored to specific target group needs
• Innovative engagement of local employers
• Employment of support workers

Element 2 should include:

• Training support packages linked with mainstream programmes tailored to the target groups
• An employment brokerage and mentoring scheme
• Additional support for employers who are prepared to offer work experience or employment to the most hard to reach
• Activities to address gender stereo-typing and supporting young people to enter non-traditional occupations

ESF LEAP (Localities, Engagement, Achievement, Progression) Project 
SO2 – Engaging Vulnerable Young People

Connexions Berkshire is the lead organisation with Connexions Milton Keynes, Connexions Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire County Council.

• The programme will prepare vulnerable young people aged 14 – 16 at risk of becoming NEET for transition into working life to help them to access further learning and training
• The programme will be available in the NEET hot-spots of Bracknell Forest, Reading and Slough in Berkshire, Milton Keynes and Oxford City (20% of the places can be used in other parts of the area)
• Priority groups are vulnerable young people, truants, teenage parents, young people with behavioural difficulties or learning difficulties/disabilities, looked after children/care leavers, offenders/ex-offenders, travellers and young people educated other than at school
  

There are two elements to the project.

Element 1 – The Pre-Engagement Programme - consists of targeted provision in NEET hot-spot areas (20% can come from outside the NEET hotspot areas) for young people aged 14 – 16 who have been identified as at risk of becoming NEET when they leave school; to support access to main-stream provision, assist with transition, providing clear progression routes to education, employment and training.

• Roll-on, roll-off programmes
• Training programme for mentors
• A network for learning mentors
• Vocational tasters
• Out of school activities
• Links to e-mentoring schemes
• Production of south-east guidance and protocols for learning mentors
• Activities to address gender stereotyping and support for young women to enter non-traditional occupations
• Liaison with schools where young people are based
  

Element 2 – Summer Transitions Programme – consists of work-related summer programmes in NEET hot-spot areas to link with existing e2e and FE summer courses as well as any other summer activity programmes. Provision should include at least:

• Summer learning programme
• A variety of delivery methods to engage the hard to help
• A motivational programme that keeps young people engaged until the start of their post-16 option
• Access to existng education and training oportunities in the area
• Activities to address gender stereotyping and support for young women to enter non-traditional occupations
• Raising awareness of the employment and training opportunities generated by the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics
• Providing clear progression routes to education, employment or training

The ESF LEAP Project Handbook for providers can be downloaded from the bottom of the page.

ESF LEAP Project Contact details

Project Manager
Lesley Harmer (lesleyharmer@cxtv.org.uk)
07740 045694

Project Coordinator
Christine Jordan (christinejordan@cxtv.org.uk)
07786 250415

Project Coordinator Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire
Jenny Ward (jennyward@cxtv.org.uk)
07747 476833

Project Administrator
Lindsey Chamier (lindseychamier@connexionsbucks.org.uk)
0845 217 1368

ESF Codes	4-9-2009	42 k
Coded ESF SR	4-9-2009	931 k
Questions and Answers	20-2-2009	527 k
Quality & Evaluation Procedure	5-10-2009	575 k
Project Forms Dec 09	11-1-2010	909 k
Project Handbook Dec 09	11-1-2010	826 k