Continued funding to help raise aspirations across Derbyshire
Derbyshire County Council are continuing to fund Raising Aspirations, a countywide project aimed at helping vulnerable young people gain skills, employment and further education. The project, developed by Bolsover Partnership, aims to remove the barriers relating to aspiration and engagement that face some young people.
The Derbyshire County Council cabinet has approved £231,000 of funding to enable Bolsover Partnership to extend the delivery of the Raising Aspirations project in selected schools across Derbyshire.
Councillor Carol Hart, Cabinet Member for Health and Communities said:
“The Raising Aspirations project aims to provide targeted, intensive work with small groups of young people who might need extra support and motivation in order to move into education, training or employment when they leave school.”
“The project offers real opportunities for young people and delivers great results. In 2016 /17 the project worked with 95 young people.”
“Out of that 72% went onto college, 14% went to a sixth form, 7% started an apprenticeship and 4% started with a training provider.”
Mandy Chambers, Chair of Bolsover Partnership said:
“I am delighted that this much deserved initiative will continue to receive funding for a further two years. The innovative approach of the Raising Aspirations programme gives young people intensive support to improve their confidence, aspirations and post-16 progression.”
Raising Aspirations, which will be delivered by Derbyshire Education Business Partnership on behalf of Bolsover Partnership, uses a wide range of techniques including the use of positive role models and mentoring, intensive support and opportunities to take part in employment, education and training.
The funding comes from the public health localities and place-based programme for 2018-2019 and will run for two years from September 2018.
In 2017-2018 the project was delivered in 13 schools and 175 students from years 10 and 11 received support from the project. In addition a further 960 students took part in motivational activities and work to help improve their chances of finding employment.
