£1m extra guarantees training for all teens

ALMOST £1m of extra money is being pumped into Oldham’s schools and colleges to give all 16 and 17-year-olds a guaranteed a place.

The £970,000 allocation will mean 121 extra seats in classrooms or on training courses from the start of the next academic year, taking the total up to 5,774.

Oldham’s schools and colleges have made predictions about the number of students they expect will apply and the Government funding is based on those figures.

But, once GCSE results are out at the end of August and pupils make the final decision about where they want to go, the money will be shuffled round to match.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls said the Connexions careers centre would act as a kind of brokerage service to ensure the money goes to the right place to accommodate the youngsters. The pledge to get every school-leaver that wants to into training or education is part of the Government’s September Guarantee, which Mr Balls is confident will be met.

He said: “I’m confident that everybody can get a place this September.

“There will be some courses that are very popular that will fill up early in the year and courses which require particular qualifications.

“Our challenge is to make sure that we have got places available for those young people who have not got the basic qualification to carry on in school or college. But our aim is to make sure there are places that meet their need. The aim is to tailor this.”

Nationally, £655m of extra funding was announced in the Budget to provide an extra 55,000 places in sixth forms, colleges and training for 16-18 year olds this year and next year. Last September, nine out of 10 youngsters were found a place under the scheme.