Sector summary

Jobs Growth Wales+ (youth employability programme)

Providers plan programmes well, taking into account the barriers many participants encounter.
Tutors are familiar with the cohorts and adeptly deliver teaching and learning to maximise engagement.
Providers establish effective links with external partners to ensure that support is robust, comprehensive, and tailored to the specific requirements of the participants.

Providers need to develop more meaningful work experience opportunities for participants.
Providers need to explore ways in which they can develop links with communities and individuals who are not engaging.
Providers need to adopt a more regional approach to planning, delivery and sharing of information and good practice.

All four regional partnerships were visited during 2022-2023. We made the following recommendations for providers across Wales:

Continue to explore how to engage those living in more remote areas.
Further develop links with specific communities who have very limited engagement or are not engaged in the programme at all.
Consider how they might better engage and support employers across the region with a view to increasing opportunities for participants.
Adopt a more regional approach to planning, delivery, and sharing of information and good practice in all regions.

Questions to help providers identify and engage potential participants:

What information do you have to suggest that there are individuals and communities who are suited to this programme, but not accessing it?
What strategies are in place to raise awareness of the programme and to link with potential participants and / or communities?
How could you develop these strategies further to ensure a greater reach leading to increased enrolments?
How well do you work with partners to ensure a coherent and collaborative approach to recruiting participants? Are there any individuals or organisations that you do not work with who may be able to support with recruitment?
Are there any challenges that are specific to your area or region? If so, how do you address these? Is there anything further you could do to respond to regional challenges?
Do you have access to reliable data and information on potential participants? If not, what can you do to ensure you are better able to access the information you need?
How do you ensure that you share recruitment successes and challenges with other providers across the region, and where appropriate, nationally?