SC’s youth programme lauded
The negative aspects of the recent Youth Guarantee (YG) programmes review by the Ministry of Education do not match the experiences of Timaru providers.
Aimed at keeping young people in education, assisting them to attain NCEA Level 2 or equivalent and promoting higher level study in tertiary education, the recent report found not all the goals had been met between 2010 and 2014.
While students remained in the programme for their first year, the figures decreased the following year; and though students completed Level 2 NCEA at higher rates than students at school, they were also less likely to progress to higher tertiary education, get off a benefit or go onto employment, the recently released report found.
YMCA South and Mid Canterbury general manager Keith Shaw said his organisation had supported 45 young people through the programme in 2015. They had achieved 50 national education certificates.
‘‘Our experience locally does not reflect the review. YG offers non education benefits - self esteem, belonging, self worth.’’
Further tertiary education was not the only measure of personal success and that should be acknowledged, Shaw said.
He pointed out the YG programmes the YMCA ran were not employment focused.
Community College South Can- terbury college manager Andrea Armstrong said its students in YG courses which covered retail, hospitality and NCEA level 2 had met the contractual targets set by the Ministry of Education.
Ara Institute of Canterbury director education and applied research Judith Brown said it had met its YG contractual obligations and of the 77 students who started a YG programme at the Timaru Ara campus at the start of the year, three had moved into full employment.
‘‘Sixty-four of these students are tracking toward successfully completing their qualification this year.’’
‘‘[This is an] 83 per cent qualification completion rate, which exceeds the national average.’’