Pupils from South Wales schools have been taking action to stamp out smoking, substance misuse and antisocial behaviour amongst young people to improve learning and skills for their future success in the workplace.
Pupils from St Cenydd in Caerphilly, Rhymney and Ebbw Vale Comprehensive Schools as well as Heronsbridge Special School in Bridgend are amongst some of the 4,000 young people who have been involved in projects as part of the £3.5m EU-backed PUPIL scheme (Pupils Understanding Problems In their Locality), led by Cynon Valley Crime Prevention Association.
So far the project has helped over 1,700 young people gain qualifications with many more benefiting from the service which is backed by the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government.
At St Cenydd, pupils used their newly-gained knowledge about the detrimental health effects of smoking to develop a presentation and activity session to inform other young people about the potential risks. Rhymney Comprehensive pupils researched the dangers of alcohol and under-age drinking and produced a DVD on the topic which they then showed to ten classes in their school.
Meanwhile Ebbw Vale pupils took part in workshops which resulted in them preparing leaflets to raise awareness of drug and alcohol misuse in the community. Amongst the issues they addressed were the health implications of taking drugs, public order offences, drink driving and emotional reliance on alcohol. They also prepared a survey, as well as developing other information materials, for both their school peers and young people in the local community.
The PUPIL project is a unique scheme targeting 11-19 year olds affected by issues such as bullying, substance misuse and anti-social behaviour to help them develop their skills and prepare them for the workplace.
Deputy Minister for European Programmes Alun Davies said: “It is a Welsh Government priority to improve the social and economic well-being of individuals to ensure they have a prosperous future. Addressing the underlying problems that can lead to unemployment and economic inactivity amongst young people can help tackle poverty and improve their future prospects. I am pleased that we have been able to invest EU funds to assist young people in overcoming some of the issues which may prevent them from learning to their full potential as well as promoting good citizenship.”
Working alongside teachers, education and community workers and the police, the PUPIL project aims to identify those most at risk of becoming detached from the world of work (NEET, Not in Education, Employment or Training) and the best way to address the specific problems faced by each individual, including help with basic skills such as numeracy and literacy.
The scheme operates across Torfaen, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Blaenau Gwent.