Young people complete courses to boost aspirations for future

Eleven young people who are supported by Wolverhampton's Youth Offending Team have been commended for taking voluntary courses designed to develop their employment skills and boost their aspirations for the future.

They successfully completed Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) short courses while completing intervention plans as part of their involvement with the Youth Offending Team.

ASDAN short courses have a proven track record in developing character traits in young people such as resilience, self-regulation, and emotional and social skills that play an important role in enabling young people to achieve positive health, education, employment, and other outcomes.

Each short course offers young people the chance to develop their learning, teamwork, IT, English and Maths skills and understand how these skills are an everyday part of adult and working life.

Councillor Chris Burden, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Each of the young people have taken part on a personal learning journey through the ASDAN short courses, which are completely voluntary.

"They have developed their skills, qualities and abilities which will help them to explore career and education, employment and training opportunities in the future. The certificates they have achieved help to demonstrate and evidence their vocational skills and positive attitude to work.

"They have also helped to raise the importance of education and attaining qualifications among their peers and, as a result, they have helped to inspire other young people currently working with Youth Offending Team who are now taking ASDAN short courses of their own."

He added: "Councillor Ian Brookfield, who very sadly passed away last week, was a huge supporter of investment in young people as leader of the council – and I know he would have been proud to see how those who may find themselves in trouble with the law are turning their young lives around in this way."

The Youth Offending Team is a multi-agency service comprising staff from health, social care and education services, the police and the National Probation Service who work with 10 to 17-year-olds involved in the criminal justice system.

Councillor Chris Burden, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, with some of the young people who have completed their ASDAN courses.