Raising of the participation age

The Raising of The Participation Age (RPA) means that young people will be required to participate in education or training until they are 18 by 2015 (unless they already have L3). They will be expected to participate up to the age of 17 by 2013.

Participation can be employment with training, an apprenticeship, or study at an FE college, school sixth form, sixth form college or private training provider.

Employers will have a duty to ensure that 16 and 17 years olds that they employ are receiving training. They do not have to offer it themselves but if they don’t, they need to check that the young person has made arrangements to participate, and then to agree reasonable hours of work so the young person can access their training elsewhere.

Young people will have a duty to participate but this will not be legally enforced for the time being.

Councils have a duty to:

ensure that their functions are (so far as they are capable of being so exercised) exercised so as to promote the effective participation in education or training of persons belonging to its area.
ensure that sufficient, suitable places are available to meet the reasonable needs of all young people, and to encourage them to participate.
make available to young people support that will "encourage, enable or assist them to participate in education or training". Education and Skills Act 2008.

For further useful information on what RPA might mean for you visit: http://education.gov.uk/16to19/participation/rpa/a00201391/useful-inform

Raising of the participation age

Please choose from the following options:

Key elements of RPA

Ealing's involvment in the DFE National RPA trial 2010-11

RPA locally led delivery projects 2011-12

Ealing IAG learning network

Key documents