Raising the Participation Age

What is Raising the Participation Age, or RPA for short?

Most 16 and 17 year olds stay in education or training and the Government is increasing the age at which everyone needs to do so.

RPA is not about staying in school longer, but about continuing in some kind of learning.

At age 16, young people will have a choice on how they participate post-16.

They could:

• Remain in full-time education, such as that offered in school, sixth form or college
• Choose work-based learning, such as an Apprenticeship
• Be in part-time education or training, if they are employed, self- employed or volunteering for more than 20 hours a week.

If you are in Year 11, you will need to continue in education or training until at least the end of the 'school' year in which you turn 17.

If you are in Year 10 or below, you will need to continue until at least your 18th birthday.

Why are things changing?

Staying in learning after Year 11 will help you get the skills and qualifications that Universities and employers are looking for.

Evidence shows that if you get qualifications at this age, it can help you to earn more over your whole lifetime - on average, young people with 2 or more A-Levels or equivalent Level 3 qualifications earn around 14% more than those without.

Where can I find out more?

Advice and guidance on the full range of options open to you will be available through your school and your Connexions Personal Adviser. Talk to your teachers about accessing advice if you want some help thinking through the pros and cons of different options.

From the 'Offsite links and online forms' section of this page 7 'Related pages':

You can find out more information about RPA from the Department for Education website.

More information on Apprenticeships is available from the Apprenticeships website.

For information about Connexions Bury go to their website.

The National Careers Service website has information on careers and learning.

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