Are you aged 16-19, in the north of Birmingham, and not in education, employment or training?

Then come along to our event at Erdington YMCA (just off Six Ways roundabout) on Tuesday 13 March 2012, between 10am and 3pm. Work-based learning providers and colleges will be there, plus personal advisers from Connexions, to help you find suitable opportunities. And a prize draw for anyone attending too...

National survey finds that one in three schools has no plan to deliver careers advice

“Children & Young People Now” is reporting that a third of schools are yet to decide how to fulfil their new duty to provide careers advice for pupils, and changes to Connexions services have adversely affected four out of five schools across the country. Ths is based on a survey by the Institute of Career Guidance (ICG).

From September, schools will have a legal duty to “secure access to independent and impartial” careers guidance for pupils. Schools will be free to decide how to meet the new duty, but will not receive additional funding to pay for careers guidance, which has until now been funded by local authorities.

The ICG survey questioned 238 schools on how they are preparing for the changes. Asked what provision they plan to put in place from September, 8% said they intend to either do nothing, or refer pupils to websites and other online services, while one in three said they were yet to decide.

Almost everyone in the survey believes that face-to-face guidance is “very important” or “quite important”, but less than half said their school is planning to purchase impartial career guidance services from external careers guidance providers or independent careers advisers.

Nationally, the changes to Connexions services have adversely affected four out of five schools, half of which said they now have a “reduced” or “seriously reduced” careers service for pupils. A further 13% said careers guidance services for pupils have ceased completely since the changes to their local Connexions.

Here in Birmingham, Connexions is proposing that from April 2012 we continue to deliver a free careers information advice and guidance service to young people in schools who have learning difficulties or disabilities or who are in other vulnerable groups. Schools in Birmingham may also meet their new legal duty by purchasing additional careers information, advice and guidance services from Connexions Birmingham.

Connexions is changing

From April 2012 onwards, Connexions Birmingham will be changing quite a lot. On our website we have a “Connexions is changing... for young people” page where we try and explain what’s going on and how it will make a difference to people who have used Connexions Birmingham before. We’ll update this page whenever we can add some new or more detailed information so it’s worth checking back there from time to time.

Why is all this happening? Why are you changing things?

There are two reasons:

• The law has changed. From September 2012 it becomes the responsibility of schools to make sure that their pupils get impartial careers information, advice and guidance. Up until now this has been the role of Connexions. 
• As part of the City Council, Connexions Birmingham needs to make budget savings for next year (2012-2013).

National Apprenticeship Week: 6-10 February 2012

Apprenticeships give you the chance to start work, learn skills and gain qualifications.

Come to Broad Street Connexions Centre during National Apprenticeship week to find out more about the opportunities available locally. From Monday 6 February to Thursday 9 February, each afternoon between 1pm and 5pm there will be a range of local learning providers at the Connexions Centre, for you to find out more about the Apprenticeship opportunities they currently have available.

You can also find Apprenticeship vacancies by using our website’s Job Search page, or from the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching service at www.apprenticeships.org.uk