Bill had not been attending school or any vocational programmes since September 2008. Since attending the Nacro Switch On programme he has begun a part-time time table with a view to extending it over the next month. He has also met with his mentor to work on ICT and engaged with the youth crime prevention team and taken part in out of school activities with them.

John had a history of not attending school in the afternoons although he has shown commitment to a construction course and a music promotion and production course. He fully engaged in the Nacro Switch On programme and showed strong leadership qualities by his mature approach to the activities. He has a more positive outlook to school, wants to do well and has received commendations from his subject teachers and two letters home from the Head of School congratulating him. He is also looking forward to taking part in further activities with the Nacro Switch On team and would like to do some youth work with them when he is in year 11.

Carol had a history of truanting during the school day by not turning up and wandering around the school when she should have been in class.

Carol fully engaged with the Nacro Switch On team. Her self esteem has grown and by being part of what she saw as a special group has begun to change her attitude towards school. Carol has expressed an interest in doing youth work with the team in the future.

Gordon was not coping well with being in upper school and was avoiding many of his subject areas and becoming antagonistic towards his teachers. He is a shy boy with poor social skills. Gordon was out of his comfort zone at times with some of the activities on the programme but stuck with it. He is now much happier at school, has changed to core subjects, a college course and a day work experience and is much happier. The programme helped with his confidence and he is working with a mentor to complete a GNVQ in IT which he did not complete last year due to his attendance and behaviour.

Nicola has been a non attender since year 7 with constant involvement with the EWO. Nicola participated in some of the Nacro Switch On programme activities which showed more commitment on her part than she had with school or vocational courses in the past. She has agreed to engage with the mentors and has worked out a new school timetable which she has so far adhered to.

Chris has never enjoyed school, is severely dyslexic and had begun to switch off from education completely. His confidence levels were very low and that had prevented him from taking part in vocational courses. Chris fully engaged with the Nacro Switch On programme and team and turned up for sessions even if he hadn’t made it to school in the mornings. His confidence has grown; turned up for exams he would’ve avoided in the past and applied for a college course in catering. This has been a huge step for Chris as before he was saying that he wasn’t going to take his GCSEs and was going to work with his step dad in the building trade.

Jane came to us from School after being excluded in year 9. Her literacy skills are extremely weak and she frequently truanted. Jane embraced the Nacro Switch On programme 100%. She was a great leader in the group, positive about everything and showed a mature and caring side. She has had her own problems in the past and thought she would like to do something in the future helping people like herself. She believed this out of her reach and didn’t trust what she saw as “services”. Through engaging with the team and getting to know the youth workers she now sees that she would be able to do work like this in the future. She has applied to college to do health and social care and would like to work with team helping other young people. She was made homeless during the programme due to her home situation and allowed the team to help her sort out her housing. She is a very proud young person and hides her emotions so this was a huge step for her. She has put a real effort into her studies and for the first time accepted the concessions available to her during exams.

Linda’s attitude to school had changed over the past two years and she as totally disinterested in her education and was missing increasing amounts. Her attendance at college was also decreasing. Linda enjoyed the Nacro Switch On programme showed real commitment to it and has made a real effort in school since taking part. Her attitude and attendance to college has also improved and she has applied to do hairdressing at City College. Linda was in real danger of just disappearing before the end of her school time. She has been engaging with the mentors and through this has been a very good friend and support to Jane.

Rose has had a very troubled past and life was getting her down and her school work was suffering. She lost confidence in herself and her abilities and was coming to school later and later and disappearing during the day.

Rose was an active and fully reliable member of the programme and again showed great maturity and fantastic leader qualities and was a great motivator. She blossomed as she felt so comfortable with the team and has seen great strength within herself. Her attendance at school has improved, she has been taking her studies seriously, taking work home and has applied to college and would eventually like to be a primary school teacher. She has also taken on a role in school motivating her peers to take things more seriously.

She has engaged with the mentors and would like to do youth work with them in the future.

The Nacro Switch On project prepares vulnerable young people, aged 14 to 16 at risk of becoming NEET, for transition into working life to help them to access further learning and training. This project delivers pre engagement programmes and summer transition programmes.