Youth Transition Services can work with schools to -

Complement the career-related work the school already does
School careers staff have limited funded hours to work with youth to develop career plans. Youth Transition Services have worked to develop a role that complements and extends the school-based work and does not compete with it.

Run seminars with senior students
Youth Transition Services staff can meet with senior school students on an annual basis about the role of the service and what it can offer.
To lessen the chance of youth becoming disengaged, Youth Transition Services have found that it is important that -

• all graduating students receive information about the service
• all graduating students are asked to consent to their information being included on the service database

Develop a protocol between Youth Transition Services and schools
Because students that leave school in the middle of a school term can fall through the cracks, it is important that agreements are made between Youth Transition Services and schools to ensure that YTS is informed about an exiting student. This arrangement ensures that enrolment in the transition programme will be carried out in conjunction with the student’s last day at school.

Run regular workshops throughout the school year for Year 10 students and higher
The objective of these workshops is to encourage students to think about career options and career paths.

Provide a specialist service for early school leavers
Many early school leavers make uninformed decisions to leave school. Youth Transition Services and schools can collaborate to ensure that all early school leavers discuss their future plans with a fieldworker before their school-leaving certificate is signed. If a student goes ahead with the decision to leave, it is important that the fieldworker uses the meeting to encourage him/her to enrol with the service.

Relationships with education and training providers

Identifying quality courses in the field across the curriculum
Napier & Hastings YTS fieldworkers need to be well informed about tutors’ approaches to teaching as well as the courses youth can be referred to. Consequently, youth can be referred to tutors that will best respond to the learning style of the youth and to institutions that will best meet the needs of the individual.

Working with providers to co-ordinate courses
Because of possible course duplication, Napier & Hastings YTS can work with the educational/training provider to identify areas of overlap and develop appropriate curricula.

Providing a personal link to the tutor
Napier & Hastings YTS can provide a link between the tutor and youth, and it encourageds tutors to contact the fieldworker when individuals have failed to attend class or have stopped attending altogether.

Early intervention – working with youth who have stopped attending courses
Making an early contact with youth who have stopped attending courses means that the youth do not fall behind with the course work and the factors contributing to their decision to cease participation can be addressed.

Being prepared to raise students’ and/or the transition service’s concerns about the quality of a course
Concerns about courses and/or tutors with providers can be discussed openly, and if warranted, the concern can be taken higher to the Tertiary Education Commission.