Refugees, travellers and other groups of displaced and vulnerable teenagers facing no qualifications and poor job prospects are being given a lifeline thanks to a groundbreaking Merton project.

The My Futures initiative is an LEA project supported by a £477,800 grant from London South Learning and Skills Council's Local Development Fund which targets 14 to 16-year-olds at risk of dropping out of mainstream education.

It gives them alternative vocational experience at Merton College.

The LEA project also includes an innovative young persons fund, supported by £250,000 from the development fund financed by the European Social Fund, which aims to help around 50 15 and 16-year- olds a year over the next two years who are not on the school roll.

Children are assigned outreach workers who see hard to reach youngsters and re-engage them in education.

These excluded youngsters apply for money from the fund for anything from a pair of shoes, a travelcard or for more substantial projects like English lessons for refugees.

Children are referred to the project through schools, admissions officers and social services.

Kate Saksena, Merton's general inspector of secondary education, said the project, which took off in December with the arrival of project manager Steve Allaman, aims to reach hundreds of children who would not normally get a chance in life.

"We think the part of the project that is groundbreaking is the fund helping a variety of children not on the roll, such as children in care coming from another borough, vulnerable children, refugees, travellers and those in difficulty in mainstream schools.

"The funding is there for whatever the children need to use it for.

"Some may need it to learn social skills or, if they are very vulnerable, take a pre-NVQ course in nurturing skills," she said.

"The aim is progression so that by the time they're 16 they have the basic skills to keep them in education and give them the prospect of a good job and a decent future.

"We're aiming to help 200 a year on vocational courses and through the fund 50 a year, 30 pupils have already benefited."

One of the project beneficiaries, Scott Francis, who is now on a work placement at Mitcham Tyres, Wimbledon, said: "My work placement has encouraged me in looking for permanent work."

The project includes group programmes to help build social skills and offers rewards, such as trips to football matches, for good attendance.

May 2, 2003 13:00