Young people speak at Kent ‘engaging and preventing NEETs’ conference

Tuesday 13th October 2009

Young people from Gillingham and Ashford who were NEET (not in education, employment or training), but who have now found employment or entered into training, spoke to delegates at a conference held yesterday, about why and how they became NEET, and what they did to overcome it. They also gave advice to those gathered on how to engage with young people and ensure that they progress into further education or employment after leaving school.

The conference, called ‘Shaping the curriculum: engaging young people and preventing NEETs’ was held yesterday (Monday 12th October) at the Ramada hotel in Maidstone. The conference was for managers from schools, colleges, government organisations such as Connexions and training providers such as TBG Learning, and gave them the opportunity to discuss and share effective practice on how to prevent young people becoming NEET after leaving school, and how to engage with those who do.

Nic Cole from TBG Learning, which has four centres throughout Kent and runs courses especially for young people who are NEET attended the conference, and commented: “It is important to ensure all young people get the right support that they need and recognise that traditional curriculums do not work for everyone. At TBG Learning we listen to the views of young people and build programmes around their needs and the needs of the local labour market. It is this flexible approach that makes us successful in helping young people gain qualifications and progress into employment or further learning.”

Kerry Knight, 17, used to be a NEET, but decided to join the Entry to Education programme at TBG Learning in Ashford. She also attended the conference, and said: “It was good to be at the conference as we got the chance to tell schools what it is like being NEET and what they can do to do to help young people in the future.”


The conference started with a key note speech from Rosalind Turner, Managing Director of the Children, Families and Education department at Kent County Council. This was followed by contributions from other organisations on topics such as ‘challenging stereotypes and understanding of why young people become NEET’.

The conference was organised in conjunction with Kent County Council, Kent Association of Further Education Corporations (KAFEC), the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), and the Kent Association of Training Providers (KATO).

Anyone is welcome to drop into TBG Learning and find out about the range of courses and help. The centres can be found at the following locations:

Gillingham: Floor 2, Kingsley House, ME7 4NT (tel 01634 855629).
Gravesend: 23-25 King Street, DA12 2DU (Tel 01474 566 588)
Folkestone: Unit B, 145-147 Sandgate Road, CT20 2DA (Tel 01303 297 064)
Ashford: The Bull Yard, High Street, Ashford TN24 8SN (Tel 01233 634 476)


TBG Learning Kent 095
For further information please contact:
Helen Sharkey Project PR, Telephone 01473 326405 / 07521 318127


Notes to editors:

TBG Learning Ltd is an independent training provider. Its mission is to ‘improve people’s lives through learning’ and its focus is on helping each individual achieve employment related skills and qualifications. It operates 19 Learning Centres in some of the most economically challenged areas of Britain with over 6,500 learners at any one time.

It also works with over eight hundred employers in London, Kent, Essex and the Midlands, delivering Apprenticeships and Train to Gain to employees in the workplace.

Many people achieve their first ever qualification through courses such as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Information Technology (from beginners to advanced), Literacy, and Numeracy.

Employability Skills Programmes (for unemployed adults) and Entry to Employment (for 16-18 year-olds) are just two of a wide number of programmes offered at many of the centres.

TBG courses are funded through a wide number of organisations including the Learning and Skills Council, Regional Development Agencies, Colleges of Further Education.

TBG (The Training and Business Group) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the charity Rehab Group.