Colleges have greater resources for vocational courses

The Increased Flexibility Programme in England is credited with improving youngsters' behaviour and school attendance, as well as their skills.

But it will no longer have specific funding - which some fear will mean schools no longer taking part.

The government has said it does not expect any reduction in provision.

Car mechanic

Southport College, Merseyside, has just taken in this year's group of 300 youngsters from 16 local secondary schools, on subjects from hairdressing and beauty therapy to engineering and motor vehicle studies.

I prefer doing things to reading books Student Andrew Watts

It has had �50,000 for each year group from the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC) - but the latest intake is the last that will be funded in this way.

Andrew Watts is a 15-year-old high school student who saw a presentation about motor vehicles and successfully applied for a place on a college Level 1 course last year.

He is now in his second year of day release, with a guarantee of a place at the college to study higher level qualifications next year.

He is minded to take this up - although, as a keen cricketer, he will wait to see how he gets on in a trial with the Lancashire county side.

What he enjoys is the hands-on nature of the motor vehicle maintenance he is learning - something he could not do at school.

"In school you are learning out of books. Here you are learning on the real thing - I prefer doing things to reading books," he said.

Concerns

The college's 14-19 school links co-ordinator, Steven Rooney, said: "Every year, school age pupils have successfully achieved vocational qualifications through the programme, allowing them to get a step closer to their chosen career.

We hope that we are able to build on our current success Steven Rooney college scheme co-ordinator

"Although we have concerns about the new funding arrangements for this type of programme, we hope that we are able to build on our current success.

"We are optimistic that this will be possible through support from the local LSC."

The college hoped the new system could be introduced in a way that did not limit choices for youngsters in the meantime.

Bigger pot

And the LSC's national director of young people's learning, Julia Dowd, sees the change as "a great thing".

There's a lot of money going in - what we have got to do is make it work better Julia Dowd Learning and Skills Council

"One of the things that exasperates me on the ground is the number of ring-fenced initiatives trying to move forward really important policy initiatives about a range of learning opportunities for people aged 14 to 19," she said.

The Increased Flexibility Programme had been "pump-priming" money to get schools and colleges collaborating on re-engaging disaffected young people.

From now on, in every area, the local LSC should work with directors of children's services to decide how to use the "global pot" of funding.

She appreciates that people such as Mr Rooney see one little initiative ending and wonder what they are going to replace it with.

"But we are saying, there's a lot of money going in - what we have got to do is make it work better," she said.

"Surely we have got the wit and intelligence to provide an opportunity for every young person to succeed."