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<p>We welcome the focus that the Resolution Foundation report draws to the challenge
of supporting young people to progress into work and training.</p><p>The Government
is actively considering ways to help young people continue to develop the skills they
will need for the future. We want to give young people the best chance to succeed,
despite these challenging and unsettling times.</p><p>As part of raising the participation
age legislation Local Authorities have duties to track all academic age 16 and 17
year olds, identify those not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk
of becoming so and supporting them to re-engage in education or training. This includes
a September guarantee where Local Authorities need to ensure that all year 11 students
and year 12 students on a one year course have a suitable offer of education or training
for the following September.</p><p>The department provides a range of financial support
for students aged 16 to19, to enable them to participate and stay in further education,
including free meals, bursaries to help with the cost of travel, books, equipment,
IT and connectivity, plus support for childcare and residential costs. Further information
can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-financial-support-for-students"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-financial-support-for-students</a></p><p>For
those learners aged 19 and over, the DfE supports a broad spectrum of learning provision
from non-formal, unaccredited learning which helps to engage disadvantaged learners
through to Apprenticeships and Traineeships where learners can gain the skills and
qualifications needed to get into work.</p><p>Learners aged 19 or over who are studying
on a further education course and facing financial hardship may be eligible for Learner
Support to pay for things like: accommodation and travel, course materials and equipment
and childcare. Further information can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/learner-support"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/learner-support</a></p><p>On apprenticeships, we
are continuing to support employers and training providers in dealing with, and responding
to, the impacts of COVID-19. While we do not yet know the full impact of COVID-19,
our priority is ensuring that apprentices and employers can continue to access high
quality training, both now and in the future. We continue to support traineeships
and have introduced flexibilities to enable providers to continue to deliver them
where possible, given that traineeships will play an important part in supporting
young people back into learning and work.</p><p>In early June this year, we launched
a £7 million Alternative Provision Transition Fund to enable Alternative Provision
schools to support all their Year 11 pupils to transition successfully into post-16
settings this summer, and avoid becoming NEET.</p>
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