The Tomlinson report, the youth green paper that is due to launch this autumn and the Russell Commission's ongoing investigation into youth volunteering have shone the spotlight on teenagers as never before.
In his keynote speech, Ivan Lewis, Parliamentary under-secretary of state for skills and vocational education, admitted that the Government's focus on teenagers was "long overdue". "We have tended to talk about young people in a context of debates about antisocial behaviour, and we have not talked about how we want to support young people and their families in what is a very difficult time of life," he said.
Lewis admitted that there had been problems with youth provision in the past. "There have been issues around the relationship between Connexions and the youth service and with some local authorities underfunding youth services," he said. But he added: "I believe there has never been a more committed and passionate consensus behind the idea of 14 to 19 reform."
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