Trail-blaze youth service praised

MINISTERS hailed Oldham for leading the way in providing facilities for young people as they unveiled radical changes to careers advice.

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Schools Minister Iain Wright visited Positive Steps Oldham (PSO) to witness a multi-agency approach to working with youngsters.

They then launched a modernised careers Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) strategy to ensure every child, whatever their background, can aim for the top.

Services delivered by PSO include Connexions, Youth Offending Service, Drug and Alcohol Action Team and Teenage Pregnancy Strategy.

It also runs the Government-backed Aiming High project, which has £4 million in funding until 2011 to ensure young people have places to go and things to do when they need them.

Last year it opened The Centre, the North-West’s first Targeted Youth Support Centre delivering a range of services and facilities under one roof.

Chief executive Tim Mitchell said: “The Centre enables young people in Oldham to access services such as counselling support, housing mediation, drug and alcohol workers, and health and contraception services in one location. It also provides access to computers, showers, washing and kitchen facilities.

“Extended opening hours, late nights and weekends means the services delivered here are at a time and location when young people need them.”

Mr Balls said intervening early ensures vulnerable young people get help to steer them away from crime.

He added: “It’s really interesting to have so many different services provided in one place. It’s about making sure that whatever needs young people have they know there’s one major place they can come.

“It’s good to see Oldham leading the way. Other areas will copy it as Oldham is really getting it right to make sure young people are staying on the right track.”

The ministers toured the facilities to chat to Oldham youngsters, who they described as “smart, articulate and ambitious.”

The young people told them how they had received expert, in-depth help to access the right college courses — which the career strategy is trying to emulate at an earlier age.

Research shows 75 per cent of 11-year-olds want to go to university and the Government says it is vital that parents and schools set out their options — whether academic or an apprenticeship.


What the Government wants to achieve

The Government’s ambition to get every young person careers advice up to the age of 18 and access to a mentor.

Primary schools to work with universities to give younger pupils an experience of higher education and work.

Online careers advice through Facebook, You Tube, blogs and forums.

More help for disadvantaged and disabled young people to access work experience.

Support and resources for school and parents to engage with children about career opportunities from an early age.

A £10 million fund to support innovative ways of delivering careers education.