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Welcome to the Learning Agreement website

What is the Learning Agreement?
The Learning Agreement is aimed at 16 and 17 year olds who are in work but not receiving accredited training. The pilot is testing whether cash incentives encourage these young people and their employers to get involved in training so they can gain qualifications relevant to their jobs.

Details of the pilots were announced in the 2003 budget and arise from the cross-departmental Review of Financial Support for 16-19 year olds. The Government has an aim that all young people should, when they reach the age of 19 be ready for skilled employment or higher education, and it is reviewing the system of financial support for 16-19 year olds to ensure that it encourages and supports all young people to participate and achieve in education and training.

The Learning Agreement Pilot is one of two interlinked pilots being delivered across eight areas in England. They are the:

• £80 million Learning Agreement Pilot for 16-17 year olds in work with no training, to increase learning options for this group, and
• the £60 million to pilot Activity Agreement Pilot and allowances to support 16-17 year olds Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) and encourage them back into learning.
  
  The areas for both Pilots are:

In Greater Manchester's Learning Agreement Pilot, 3 elements are being tested:

• giving a cash reward of £250 to both the young person and the employer when the agreed qualification has been achieved;
• a learning agreement that is negotiated and signed by the employee, with help from a Connexions Adviser, to demonstrate their commitment to the pilot.

The Learning Agreement Pilot was due to end in March 2009 however Government Ministers have decided to extend the project to March 2009

If you are a young person or employer please go to the 'useful contacts' section for the contact details of your local Connexions Office.

If you are involved in the Learning Agreement as an adviser to training provider please use the sections above to obtain further information.

October 2007

©2006 - 2007 Greater Manchester Residuary Body
Greater Manchester Residuary Body is part of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council