14-19 Learning Pathways: An Introduction

The Welsh Assembly Government’s 14-19 Learning Pathways policy aims to ensure that 95 per cent of young people by the age of 25 are ready for high skilled employment or higher education by the year 2015. It is intended that this will be achieved by motivating young people to become engaged and stay in learning andby offering a range of support services that assist young people to overcome any barriers to their learning.

The policy includes six key themes, three of which are designed to engage young people in learning and the remaining three which are aimed to support learners.

Key themes to support the actual learning provided to young people include:

• Individual Learning Pathways to meet the needs of each learner;
• Wider choice and flexibility of programmes and ways of learning from a local curricula
  (previously referred to as the local options menu);
• A Learning Core which runs from 14 through to 19 wherever young people are learning and which includes skills, knowledge, understanding, attitudes and values and common experiences.

Key themes to provide support to young people to assist them to overcome barriers so that they can access and engage in learning include:

• Learning coach support;
• Access to personal support;
• Impartial careers information, advice and guidance.

Agored Cymru is working extensively with key stakeholders including delivery organisations, 14-19 local networks and Local Authorities (LAs), youth services, Careers Wales companies, the Welsh Assembly Government and Estyn to realise the Learning Pathways 14-19 agenda in Wales and to ensure that Agored Cymru provides a range of targeted support for each of the six key themes encompassed within the 14-19 policy. This work is being undertaken in the context of other related policies such as, Extending Entitlement and the National Youth Service Strategy to ensure Agored Cymru provides a service that fits the specific needs of the Welsh 14-19 Learning Pathways agenda.