Youth Commission
Youth Commission investigation - take part now!
Win a brand new most wanted Apple IPad, an IPod Shuffle or ITunes vouchers in just 3 minutes thanks to the Edge Learner Forum and Shine's ‘Youth Commission’ survey’.
You could win any one of these great prizes in just a few minutes, and let us know how you think talent is recognised and what you think businesses should be doing for you, with our quick Youth Commission survey.
We will take your views directly to businesses, politicians and people involved in your education so please let us know what you think. If you are aged 13-25 and want get your voice heard, take our survey, you could win a great prize too!
For any questions or comments on the report please contact Damian Low atdamian@shm-ltd.co.uk
Read More What is the Youth Commission?
The Youth Commission is being driven by Edge Learner Forum members around the country, who are playing a lead role in designing and carrying out the research with young people in every region. So far, the Youth Commission has reached over 2500 young people and we are aiming to double that number at least by the end of the process! You can get involved straightaway by filling in the Youth Commission survey online.
Read More Why should you give your views?
Join The Movement Today!
We are searching for practical learning champions, role models and mentors who can contribute to our campaign.
Do you believe in our mission? Do you think you can help us achieve our goals?
The Edge Learner Forum is recruiting over 10,000 members of the Edge Learner Forum network in 2009, and we want YOU to be one of them!
Why you should join:
- Be heard: It's a chance to sound off about the education system and for your opinion to genuinely be heard.
- Be a changemaker: By becoming a members of the Edge Learner Forum network you'll be taking part in a real movement for change in your community and society in general.
- Be involved: You'll be joining a UK-wide network of young people, committed to improving education for everyone.
- Be unique: In return for your commitment you'll get access to advice, mentoring opportunities, exclusive website content, polls, interviews and competitions.
Click here to Join The Movement.
About us
The Edge learner Forum is a network of young people who are working to change the face of education. Our focus is to promote practical learning and to show that there are many different ways to be successful. We have 8 groups across England and nearly 200 members, and we are growing all the time.
Our goal is to give you some inspiration about your options for learning and work, and help you to see how you can use your talents to be successful. We also aim to make sure your views on education are heard, so that the politicians and professionals understand how to improve.
If you want to help us create a wider change in education, we encourage you to get involved as an associate of the Forum and add your voice to the movement.
Click here to find out more
The Edge learner Forum is a network of young people who are working to change the face of education. Our focus is to promote practical learning and to show that there are many different ways to be successful. We have 8 groups across England and nearly 200 members, and we are growing all the time.
Parents are often in the best position to give support to young people who are trying to make it in education. Our aim is to support you as a parent of someone who is going through the education system. We can do this by giving you insights into what your child could be experiencing and greater knowledge about some of the choices they have.
And if you want to help us create a wider change in education, we encourage you to get involved as an associate of the Forum and add your voice to the movement.
Click here to find out more
The Edge learner Forum is a network of young people who are working to change the face of education. Our focus is to promote practical learning and to show that there are many different ways to be successful. We have 8 groups across England and nearly 200 members, and we are growing all the time.
Great teachers can make all the difference to young people's learning, but they don't always get the support and encouragement they deserve. Our aim is to give teachers a way to get constructive feedback and advice directly from young people. We do this by providing training events where teachers can listen to young people's first hand experiences of learning, and work alongside young people to develop ideas for practice. We also provide a student-led review process for individual teachers or institutions that want to know how their students feel about their learning, and want some practical recommendations to take forward. The members of the Edge Learner Forum are trained in relevant skills such as interviewing, giving feedback and observing lessons.
If you want to find out more about how we can support you in your work, please get in touch with us. And if you want to help us create a wider change in education, we encourage you to get involved as an associate of the Forum and add your voice to the movement.
Click here to find out more
The Edge learner Forum is a network of young people who are working to change the face of education. Our focus is to promote practical learning and to show that there are many different ways to be successful. We have 8 groups across England and nearly 200 members, and we are growing all the time.
Employers have a lot to offer young people, and the same should be true the other way round. Our goal is to be a bridge between employers and young people, to make it easier for the potential to be a reality. We want to help employers understand how to get the best out of young people in the workplace - whether it's in the context of work experience, an apprenticeship, or a job. We can do this by providing you with direct access to the experiences of young people engaging with the work environment. We can offer you advice as you put together work-based learning programmes aimed at young people, and we can help you think through the best recruitment strategies to use to engage young people.
If you want to find out more about how we can support you in your work, please get in touch with us.And if you want to help us create a wider change in education, we encourage you to get involved as an associate of the Forum and add your voice to the movement.
Click here to find out more
Edge Learner Forum is an independent network of young people who are working proactively to change education for the better. For policy-makers, the Learner Forum can be a valuable partner in the shaping of education policy. As a partner, the Learner Forum can offer you a sounding board and a source of evidence about young people's views. We have the ability to design and carry out peer research to reach many hundreds and even thousands of young people around the country.
If you want to find out more about how we can support you in your work, please get in touch with us. And if you want to help us create a wider change in education, we encourage you to get involved as an associate of the Forum and add your voice to the movement.
Click here to find out more
The Edge learner Forum is a network of young people who are working to change the face of education. Our focus is to promote practical learning and to show that there are many different ways to be successful. We have 8 groups across England and nearly 200 members, and we are growing all the time.
The Edge Learner Forum is a unique project that enables young people to get actively involved in Edge's campaign as partners and advisors. Through the Learner Forum, Edge empowers all kinds of young learners to play a role in their campaign and make a real difference to the way learning happens. The Learner Forum network currently involves young people in eight different areas of the country – Cumbria, North Yorkshire, Newcastle, East Sussex, Doncaster, Birmingham, London and the South East and Nottingham.
Click here to find out more
News
Read More Making Work Experience work for YOU - March 2010
Read Andrew Bontiff's glowing account of his 3 day placement at British Sky Broadcasting and what he learned from his time with the Sky News and Sky Sport News team on the London News page...
We have links with Sports, Law, Politics, Media, Fashion, Advertising, PR and Communications, Construction, Business & Finance, Health & Social care, Theatre and the Arts. If you would be interested in taking part in a work experience or placement in any of the above sectors, please send your name, age, and a short description of why you would be a good match to: lauren@shm-ltd.co.uk
Read More The Great Education Debate - February 2010
The campaign provides young people, parents, teachers and employers with the chance to have their say on practical and vocational learning and share how they would like to see the education system change. The sessions the forum has been running with young people use the film as a stimulus for debate and discussion.
Follow the campaign and have YOUR say at:
www.edge.co.uk/haveyoursay and see the film at www.wearethepeoplemovie.com
Read More Youth Commission: Youth Voices on Employability
This event marked the launch of the findings of our second Youth Commission investigation centred upon young peoples' employability. Our guests included Chris Humphries (CEO, UKCES), Debbie Scott (CEO, Tomorrow's People) and Margaret Gildea (SEMTA, formerly Rolls Royce) and was hosted by our Edge Learner Forum members. Thank you to everyone for making it a great success.
We will be uploading the Youth Commission report and all media shortly...
Read More Habbo Careers Academy: 26-28th Jan 2010
The Habbo Careers Academy is a unique opportunity for young people to connect with industry leaders from high-profile businesses to gain insider careers advice.
The Careers Academy will be hosted by Habbo in conjunction with the Edge Learner forum – a network of young people working to improve the education system. It will feed into a big nationwide investigation into young people’s employability. In the run up to the event, Habbo users will get the chance to have their say on employability by responding to the Edge Learner Forum survey.
Who’s involved?
Senior role employers (HR Directors, Managing Directors etc.) from organisations in industries that are recognised and attractive to young people. The industries we are approaching include: Media, Communications, Catering, Construction, Design, Retail and more.
When is it?
90 minutes between 16:00 and 18:00 on one of the following dates: 26th, 27th and 28th January
How to join in…
http://www.habbo.co.uk/groups/habbocareersacademy
Read More Upcoming Event: Employability Summit 16th Feb 2010
This summit is being held to mark the launch of the Edge Learner Forum Youth Commission investigation into young people’s employability, the report is about to be written and will be launched at our employability summit being held in the awesome surroundings of the Imperial War Museum in South London.
The Edge Learner Forum want to find ways to help improve young people’s employability by getting the perspectives of young people, employers, Government and the third sector. By gathering views from across the board we can develop solutions to help young people into employment. The employability summit is the culmination of this research, many thanks for all your help, and is the first step to taking the solutions forward so that not as many young people are out of work and feel they cannot get into it.
If you would loike to get involved in the event and get your voice heard on one of the most important issues of the moment then please drop us a line at info@edgelearnerforum.co.uk so you can come on down.
Media & resources
1. Exploring the diplomas for real
We went to the Department for Children Schools and Families to offer our help in spreading the word about the new Diploma qualification for young people. Our aim was to inspire young people about the Diplomas and get them to go and ask their own questions about the qualification and what's on offer for them locally.
A group of us came together to create with our own investigation about the Diplomas. We went out to interview lots of people around the country about the Diplomas, including employers, teachers, young people and politicians. At the end we came together to talk about our conclusions. The whole process was recorded and produced as a film.
This film will be distributed in schools around the country and we hope that young people will watch it and decide to explore what the Diplomas can offer them in their own area. In the future whenever they are big changes in education, we think young people should be partners in bringing about those changes. We see this Diploma project as just the beginning.
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2. The Visionary Project
We were asked by Learning City York to get involved in a project called 'Visionary'. The project produced a new form careers guidance, which was developed by young people for young people. Edge Learner Forum brought the practical learning angle to this project.
Learner Forum members went out to interview successful people in the city of York about their paths to success. We asked them how practical learning helped them to achieve success. The interviews were turned into a film, which is an exciting new resource for careers in schools.
The Visionary film has been piloted in York schools and there are plans for rolling it out further. In the future we want to see young people around the country getting involved with Visionary projects. We think this will lead to better results for the young people involved, as well as better careers information.
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3. Edge Instead
'Edge Instead' is our own version of a school inspection is run by young people. We designed it and presented it to South Camden Community School in London and they agreed to do the first ever pilot.
We trained 50 pupils from the school with the skills to carry out classroom observations, lead workshops, conduct interviews and manage a diary room. Over a period of 4 days we helped the pupils to review their school. The review looked at learning and aspirations in the school, and issues around respect and environment.
As a result of Edge Instead, South Camden Community School has built new actions into its development plan for 2009. Some of the actions include an aspirations day, involving parents in school life more, creating mentoring schemes, starting an equipment shop run by students.
We are planning to pilot Edge Instead in different places like primary schools and FE colleges. We have already got schools and colleges in London and York who want to take it on. Our future goal is to work more closely with Ofsted and to spread Edge Instead across the country.
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Featured Partners
Lifetracks: A new way to get information about your choices
Lifetracks understands that it's not always easy deciding what you want to do with your life. In fact, it's not always easy deciding what you want to do next. Lifetracks is an ambitious new programme which supports young people to make informed choices about learning, training and work. If you’re aged between 16 and 25, there are lots of ways you can get involved in the Lifetracks programme through volunteering for YouthNet or one of their consortium partners
Just go to http://www.lifetracks.com
Tell us what you think
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