Supporting young people to stay in education, employment or training in East Sussex

Effective Transitions Fund - Steps to Success, funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) in association with J.P. Morgan, is designed to support young people aged 14-16, particularly those on Free School Meals who are persistently absent from school and/or have special educational needs, in accessing education, employment, and training to make a strong transition to a post-16 pathway that aligns with their talents and interests. This programme builds research evidence showing the impact of early intervention on enabling young people to progress into post-16 education, employment or training . 

The Effective Transitions Fund focuses on two key interventions:

1. Prevention of NEET status – providing coaching to year 10 and 11 students which focuses on building students’ awareness of their own strengths, knowledge of year 12 pathways and decisions about year 12 destinations.
2. Work experience services – offering tailored, free of charge services to schools which consists of matching Steps to Success participants to bespoke work experience placements in line with their career interests, and with a supportive employer.

Funding for this initiative comes from the Careers and Enterprise Company, in association with J.P. Morgan through the CEC’s Effective Transition Fund. It was one of ten pilots nationally. 

The first run of the programme supported year 10 and 11 students to enable them to transition into year 12, providing workshops on stress coping strategies and sleep, identifying personal strengths and applying to year 12, and preparing for new people and places in year 12.

Key features included:

• One-to-one coaching with a trusted adult from CXK, a youth employability charity.
• Holistic career guidance covering family background, interests, aspirations, and personal challenges (e.g., poor sleep, stress management).
• Workshops on stress coping strategies and sleep, personal strengths and applying to year 12, and preparation for new people and places in year 12.
• Bespoke work experience placements, with structured preparation to ensure employers’ understanding of students’ needs.
• “Open Doors” workplace visits for students not yet ready for full placements.

I feel I’m more confident meeting new people now and know that having a job I enjoy will benefit my mental health and is really important”.

• 102 out of 105 participants completed the programme.
• 9 out of 10 students progressed into education, employment, or training, compared to 76 per cent of a comparison group of peers with a similar profile.
• Increased understanding of post-16 pathways and improved engagement with education.

Following the success of the first phase of the Effective Transitions Fund pilot, the programme secured additional funding from the CEC’s Effective Transitions Fund, allowing for an expanded reach:

• Tripled the number of participants.
• Targeting students on Free School Meals (FSM) who were either persistently absent from school and/or who had SEND.

A crucial component of the programme is work experience, facilitated through East Sussex County Council’s long established work experience service. Key challenges and solutions include:

• Strong links between schools and local employers: Over 33 East Sussex schools already participate in work experience annually.
• Economic barriers: With the introduction of T-Levels and economic fluctuations, employer engagement has become more complex.
• Employer support: Pre-placement visits ensure readiness, and employer concerns are addressed before proceeding.

There were close links with the community and time was spent to understand what worked well, and how to support employers. For example, a child with significant SEND was placed with a shop owner who had previously worked as a teacher supporting children with SEND.

I am proud I completed long hours on my work placement and learnt new skills”

Programme Evaluation and Future Prospects

While the programme has not yet been evaluated, there is constant monitoring in-place to understand the impact it has including baseline, mid-point and end-point evaluations for each pilot, case studies tracking individual journeys and tracking outcomes for six months post-programme to measure long-term impact.

Steps to Success has demonstrated promising results in supporting vulnerable young people through education and employment pathways. The team is exploring how the programmes can be scaled and continually run to support young people in East Sussex and nationally given the positive evidence shown in these pilots; however, this would be subject to future funding.