Meeting documents

APPENDIX 1

Statutory Provisions related to Connexions Services

These are the services and activities which Connexions provide under statute for young people under the various Acts of Parliament. They must be provided by each and every organisation which receives the Connexions grant funding.

1.1 Careers Education and Guidance (CEG)

Under Section 8 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 (amended by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993), the Secretary of State has a duty to secure provision of relevant services for assisting persons undergoing relevant education to decide:

what employments, having regard to their capabilities, will be suitable for and available to them when they cease undergoing such education; and

what training or education is or will be required by and available to them in order to fit them for those employments;

and for assisting persons ceasing to undergo relevant education to obtain such employments, training and education.

There is a statutory requirement for schools to deliver a programme of careers education from Year 7. Connexions partnerships are expected to support curriculum and staff development in careers work.

There is also a statutory duty to provide careers services to young people.

1.2 Encouraging participation in education and training

Under Section 114 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, the Secretary of State has the power to provide or secure the provision of services which he thinks will encourage, enable or assist (directly or indirectly) effective participation by young people in education or training.

This power effectively extends the Connexions remit beyond CEG and into delivery of a wider range of information, advice and guidance (IAG) services designed to improve levels of participation in education and training.

Under Section 140 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000, the Secretary of State has a duty to arrange an assessment for young people with learning difficulty and/or disability as defined by the Act to assist their transition to post 16 education and training opportunities.

Section 140 assessments are conducted by PAs and take place in or after the young person's final year of compulsory education