How vocational study keeps students learning

Project: Progression Curriculum

Purpose: To engage and retain college students in danger of dropping out

Funding: Around £4,000 per student paid to East Kent College by the Education Funding Agency. The development of the qualifications was funded from Gateway Qualifications' own resources

Background: In East Kent in 2011, concerns were mounting about the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training. The percentage of Thanet 16- to 18-year-olds in this category in 2012 was the highest in Kent - eight per cent compared with the five per cent county average. With 20 per cent of teenagers dropping out of courses within the first six weeks, East Kent College was keen to find new ways to retain them.

The solution was a new project-based curriculum. The college teamed up with Gateway Qualifications, which was developing new vocational qualifications at the time. Development took several months and they were first offered to students at the college's Broadstairs campus in September 2012.

Action: Young people who could benefit from the curriculum are identified by information, advice and guidance professionals in schools and elsewhere. Potential applicants may have dropped out of previous courses, or be struggling to engage in formal learning.

The curriculum offers qualifications in 15 vocational areas, such as health and social care, retail and hairdressing. It is project-based, which means students take on projects such as stripping a car engine and rebuilding it, with everything they learn used as evidence towards their level one qualification.

The curriculum offers three joining points across the year and accommodates three groups - those ready for level one who have a career in mind, those ready but undecided, and those not yet ready for a classroom environment.

Students who are not sure what they want to do can try up to four vocational areas before getting a level one qualification in vocational studies at the end of the year. Those who stick with one vocational area receive a level one diploma in that subject and learners in both categories can then progress to level two or a traineeship. Students not yet ready for a classroom environment gain employability skills such as team-building to prepare them for the classroom, enabling them to join the programme at a later date.

The curriculum enables learners to transfer between vocational areas at set points during the year so they don't have to drop out and start again if they decide a subject is not for them. All undertake built-in employability units to prepare them for the workplace.

"The fact the curriculum is project-based means the learner doesn't really know they're learning to start with," says Julie Hewitt, director of customer relations and marketing for Gateway Qualifications. "The way this curriculum is structured really helps motivate learners because they can see where they're going."

Learners at East Kent College are supported throughout by one-to-one progression mentors, provided by the college.

The curriculum has this year been rolled out to the college's Dover and Folkestone campuses and Gateway's qualifications are now being used by around 45 other colleges across England.

Outcome: Ninety six per cent of the 113 students enrolled on the curriculum last year remained on it after the first six weeks and 94 per cent of them completed the year's course. Ninety eight per cent of students progressed to level two qualification, training or employment.

Of the 129 young people enrolled on the curriculum in 2012 to 2013, 70 per cent progressed to education or training and 20 per cent into employment. The following year 83 per cent of 113 students went into education and training and 15 per cent into employment.

A recent survey of Progression Curriculum students showed a 100 per cent satisfaction rate with their course and 91 per cent achieving what they set out to do.

In March 2013, Ofsted inspectors described the outcomes for the college's foundation-level learners as "outstanding". This year the college won an Association of Colleges Beacon Award for continued engagement in education and training for 16- to 19-year-olds.

If you think your project is worthy of inclusion, email supporting data to derren.hayes@markallengroup.com

YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE PROGRESS

Results from East Kent College's Progression Curriculum

Progressed in education or training

2012/13 - 70%

2013/14 - 83%

Went into employment

2012/13 - 20%

2013/14 - 15%

Source: East Kent College