The Ministers set out a number of areas on which they wished officials to focus on in order to address the challenges in 14-19 education and training. In order to build a consensus around the main challenges and what needs to be achieved to enhance current provision and its delivery, the two Departments commenced initial engagement with key stakeholders in early August 2018 by hosting a Northern Ireland Public Sector Innovation Lab event.
The “Transition of Young People into Careers” Project was established January 2019 and forms part of DE’s Transformation Programme which aims to transform the current education (and training) system to deliver better outcomes for children and young people. The Project is jointly funded and led by DE and DfE with supporting governance arrangements.
The Project has, following engagement with key stakeholders, established a number of work streams / areas of focus to address the key challenges.
The work streams/ key areas of focus are as follows:
- Funding
- Curriculum Delivery
- Careers
- Progression and Pathways
- Post-16 Education
The Project’s key milestones are outlined below:
By March 2021
- Strategic Outline Case;
- Draft baseline paper including draft Vision, Guiding Principles, outlines the current 14-19 education and training landscape and provides details of the key challenges identified through extensive research and stakeholder engagement;
By June 2021
- Draft Action Plan, including costings, outlining key actions that could be taken to deliver a more strategic joined up approach to 14-19 education and training.