A Youth Guarantee : Towards Education and Training for All from 16-19. St. Catharine's Conference (Windsor, England, United Kingdom, November 1988). Report No. 13 / Geoffrey J. Williams.

This report presents summaries of speeches given at a conference held at Cumberland Lodge (England) in 1988 on the subject of education and training of young people between 16 and 19. The guarantee of either a training or an educational program for all in this age range is explored and the issue of deferring full-time employment to age 18 or 19 is argued. The social and moral aspects of education in the rush to meet economic and technological demands of society are addressed. Areas discussed include questions of access, examinations and qualifications, and issues surrounding actual implementation of education and training initiatives from the consumer perspective. Points of agreement from two main discussion groups are the following: (1) age 18 should be the normal entry point into full-time employment; (2) there should be a wide variety of provision for 16-19 year olds for which effective collaboration between providers is vital; (3) flexibility is essential, maximizing choice; (4) new access routes to further and higher education need to be developed; (5) a comprehensive framework of assessment is required; (6) an awareness of career possibilities and personal skill potential need to be fostered in young people long before age 16 to enable them to select sensible career paths; and (7) additional funding and resources (possibly involving industry) are needed. (GLR)

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