Supporting disadvantaged young people

Wednesday, 06 June 2012

Disadvantaged young people from Hampshire will be able to get additional help to access post 16 education and training from September.

At his decision day on Thursday 31 May, Councillor Roy Perry, Hampshire County Council's Executive Lead Member for Children's Services approved the introduction of a pilot which will give Hampshire young people aged 16 and above the chance to apply for a grant to help with travel costs to help them access courses run by local colleges, school sixth form, and training providers.

The funding would be conditional on attendance and would be administered by the colleges, school sixth forms, or training provide alongside other post 16 learner support scheme such as the post 16 Bursary Scheme.

The new support coincides with the unveiling of the County Council's new three-year Children and Young People Plan which has at its heart the aims of improving outcomes for all children and young people and enabling them to be talented and successful individuals. It also coincides with moves to encourage more young people into post 16 education and training and the introduction of raising of the participation age legislation from 2013.

The pilot will be reviewed but if on-going the initiative would cost around £247,000 a year. Over 36,000 young people, 16-18, undertake their post 16 studies in Hampshire. These funds will help those Hampshire young people for whom the cost of transport is a barrier to them participating in post 16 education and training.

Commenting Councillor Perry said:

"I am pleased to be able to make this money available to help remove potential barriers to accessing post 16 education and training which young people from low income families may experience. It will be for education and training providers to administer the funding and young people will be required to meet attendance conditions. The funding is not intended to duplicate any support which can be accessed from any other schemes such as the National Post 16 Bursary Scheme but is intended to ensure young people from low income families are not disadvantaged and can take full advantage of any education and training opportunities they wish to pursue."

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