Valuable insights from College students

West Suffolk College contributed valuable insights at a meeting held to discuss the plight of young people in Suffolk who have no work, training or college placement and face an uncertain future.

Sherry Fry, Head of School of Participation, travelled to Ipswich with three of her students who told a Scrutiny Committee meeting at Suffolk County Council about their experiences in life and at College.

Teenagers Caroline Miller, from Norton, Jay Waddams and Robert Collins, both from Bury St Edmunds, have not had positive learning or life experiences and all face barriers to fulfilling their potential. They impressed the committee enough to earn a round of applause for the way they dealt with the daunting task of addressing a large meeting and expressing their concerns.

Numbers of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) within the Western area are the lowest in the county, currently 6.44% compared with 8.65% in the North, but the College is committed to reducing this number.

Sherry Fry said: “Through our holistic delivery methods we have a proven track record of engaging the hardest to reach young people, working in collaboration with a wide range of key stakeholders to motivate and empower our students.”

West Suffolk College is unique in that it is the only FE College within the region to have formed a School with a dedicated focus on intervention aimed at enabling disengaged young people to achieve.

Through the School of Participation, West Suffolk College has developed a wraparound model of delivery and support for each student. A skilled, multidisciplinary team of staff deliver programmes that help young people increase their belief in their capacity to succeed.

Sherry Fry and her team deliver a range of courses and initiatives, from outreach delivery within community settings, to the Prince’s Trust team programme, Foundation learning programmes and apprenticeships.

West Suffolk College also provide alternative entry point courses to support young people to access provision outside the standard academic calendar.

The College is committed to working strategically within the Western Area to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET).