Ensuring adequate and appropriate education and training opportunities for all 16-19 year olds has become a major policy issue over the last thirty years. This priority was, to some extent, forced upon the first Thatcher government by rapidly rising youth unemployment and the spectre of inner city riots. Now encouraging a greater proportion of young people to delay their transition into the labour market has become a central concern of government education and training policy. Investment in the Learning and Skills Sector in England has increased by 48% since 1997, with much of this money being directed at 16-19 year olds; currently just over half of the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) budget is spent on this age group. Does this investment produce value for money and who is benefiting from it? This issues paper draws on work undertaken as part of the Nuffield 14-19 Review1 to discuss these questions with a focus on one indicator of system performance, participation rates.
