Factors that have contributed to the success of these projects

1. Factors that have contributed to the success of these projects Building on the NBI and SSACI Experience

2. International Factors • High level of co-ordination and commitment amongst social partners • Agreement amongst the partners as to who the target group is and what the criteria for selection should be • Programmes should take into account the sources of social exclusion of the particular target group(s) so that interventions can be more effectively targeted. • Programmes should cover a wide range of skills needed for workplace with a particular emphasis on job readiness and job search skills. • There should be social support networks, during and following training • Financial support mechanisms such as microcredit, flexible loans and/or grants are needed, particularly for impoverished groups. • There is a need for creative investment in and use of physical infrastructure, especially to address the rural/urban divide. • The use of market mechanisms to attract training providers • Careful monitoring of needs and expectations of beneficiaries and employers to ensure the programme is achieving its goals.

3. Key Factors that Emerged from the NBI and SSACI experiences • Programmes in areas of opportunities to absorb young people into the labour market. • Selection procedures must be rigorous & based on understanding of the target group. • Curriculum delivery should seamlessly combine theory, practice and life-skills. • Accessible materials that align with curricula and assessment is critical. • Quality lecturers: through training and performance management • The practical experience should ideally include both simulated (note the implications for resources) & workplace experiences

4. Key Factors (Continued) • There should be flexibility in the management of workplace experience though there can be tools to enhance the learning processes. • Student support should include a balance between what the organisation can manage, the most essential needs of the students and implications regarding costs of replication (range from personal support, career guidance, placement and bursaries). • The availably of extended or “bridging” social networks is the most important service that providers can provide in terms of the transition to the workplace.

5. Learning with regards to the manner in which Support Interventions can be structured • Need to develop a ‘package approach’ at a systemic level to support colleges: locate specific interventions within a single inititaive rather than as discreet relatively uncoordinated activities • There are real benefits to establishing flexible partnerships that encourage good practice and innovation and that can support effective provision and support sustainability • Organisations and therefore programmes benefit where there is an external partner that can facilitate a reflection and learning process. Through this mirroring process organisations can ensure an on-going process of development