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Joint DCSF/DIUS Research Conference 2007
Understanding Diversity:
Creating Opportunities
16 November 2007
Thomas Spielhofer
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Aims of Review
expected benefits of compulsory post-16 participation
challenges in implementing and enforcing participation in education and training
support needed by young people to help them make effective choices.
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Systematic literature review
Internet searches
International enquiries
100+ documents considered
65 documents reviewed
Methods
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Participation of 16 to 18 year olds in education and training, England, 1995 to 2005
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006*
Perc
en
tag
e
Age 16 Age 17 Age 18 Age 16-17
Source: DfES (2006) Participation in education, training and employment by 16-18 year olds in England: 2004 and 2005 (National Statistics First Release SFR 21/2006
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Proportion of 16 to 17 year olds NEET, employed (JWT), and in education and training, England,
1995 to 2005
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
90%
95%
100%
NEET
JWT
Total education andtraining
*Provisional Source: Data compiled using tables from DfES (2007a) showing the numbers of young people participating in ‘education and WBL’ The figures in this graph do not add up to 100 per cent as they exclude some young people engaged in part-time training in the workplace, in independent colleges or via private study, based on estimates from the Labour Force Survey.
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Characteristics of non participants
have achieved no or very low qualifications when leaving school
have not enjoyed school
have a history of truancy and/or exclusion
be white and male
come from lower socio-economic backgrounds
have parents with low qualifications, aspirations and awareness of post-16 options
be in a job without training in the retail sector
be motivated by getting a job and earning money as soon as possible
Not a homogenous group
But they are more likely to:
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JWT or NEET?
JWT
79,000
NEET
124,000
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courses leading to level 2 qualifications or below
work-based training (in retail?)
Likely destinations of non-participants
have achieved no or few qualifications
have not enjoyed schoolvocational courses (including the new Diplomas)
are motivated by getting a job and earning money as soon as
possiblemost likely to be in a job without training in the retail sector
Characteristic of non-participants
Given these characteristics a lot of growth can be expected in:
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The potential benefits of participation
Higher wages
Health benefitsIncreased likelihood of labour market participation
Increased life satisfactionBetter educational outcomes
Reduced offending behaviour and crime
Increased post-compulsory participation
Increased likelihood of civil involvement
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The benefits of increased participation – the evidence
Voluntary Compulsory
Ed
ucati
on
Tra
inin
g
Access (2005)
Applied Economics (2002)
DSF (2006)
McIntosh (2002)
Ashenfelter & Krueger (1993)
Del Bono & Galindo-Rueda (2006)
Walker (2003)
Oreopolous (2002, 2006a,b)
Meghir & Palme (2004)
Leigh & Ryan (2005)
McIntosh (2004, 2006, 2007)
Access (2005)
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The financial benefits of post-16 education or training
Vocational qualifications do not have the same economic benefits as academic ones
There is a significant variation in the returns to apprenticeships between different employment sectors
The economic returns to NVQs at Level 2 or below are negligible, except for those who leave school with no qualifications.
Compulsory education OR training
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Conclusions
No direct evidence of the impact of raising the participation age to 18
Strong evidence that compulsory post-16 schooling has economic benefits
Not clear whether the benefits will be the same for compulsory participation in education or training
Impact most likely to be greatest for those who leave school with no previous qualifications