Going Forward project
Hartlepool Borough Council was successful in gaining funding for this project via the Learning and Skills Council’s ESF tendering round in November 2007. The project which is a partnership between Children’s Services, Economic Development Department and the Connexions Service will be managed by Tees Valley Works who will lead on all contractual matters relating to project delivery.
The Going Forward Project was developed to provide targeted interventions to support young people aged 14-19 to prevent them from becoming disengaged from mainstream learning. The project will support vulnerable young people and re-engage young people who are currently identified as Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) or those in danger of becoming NEET.
There will be four strands to the project with each strand being centrally co-ordinated which complements the local Children and Young People’s Plan (CYPP) and 14-19 Strategy and by providing additional capacity to existing service provision. It will also be a key driver to Hartlepool Borough Council’s NEET Reduction Strategy which is currently being implemented. The project will ensure that all key partners will be able to contribute to the provision and ensure it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of identified priority groups.
Objectives have been developed for each strand of the programme. The project will work with 400 beneficiaries (120 x 14 – 16 year old and 280 x 16 – 18 year old) across Hartlepool, of which 220 will progress into learning, 88 will progress into employment and 100 will be in employment 6 months after the intervention. These objectives will be achieved between March 2008 and December 2010. The outputs underpin the Joint Area Review and CYPP Action Plan and address the needs of those who are at risk of or are currently NEET.
This project will also give additional capacity to support the work of the Connexions by increasing the levels of support available to young people. One to one support, along with financial incentive schemes, work taster sessions and pre-employability programmes, will be available and will build on successful NEET reduction projects that are already in place.
