Young people OnTrack for success with new support feature backed by Mayor

School leaders have hailed a new EMCCA-backed feature to support young people in education into training and employment.

The Careers & Enterprise Company has developed OnTrack+, a new data feature which helps teachers identify emerging support needs for learners in Years 7-11, strengthening engagement and post-16 transition.

It comes after new data highlighted how nearly one million young people are now not in education, employment or training (NEET). Rising absence, disadvantage and disengagement mean too many learners experience difficult transitions from secondary education.

‘OnTrack+ is an important tool’

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “Every young person deserves the chance to succeed, but too many face barriers that leave them at risk of becoming NEET. 

“OnTrack+ is an important tool for schools, giving them the insight to spot early signs of disengagement and plan timely, targeted support. What makes this initiative truly effective is the partnership behind it – EMCCA’s careers hub is helping schools in our region access OnTrack+, share best practice, and connect students to the guidance and opportunities they need. 

“By working together, we’re not just reacting to problems, we’re preventing them, keeping young people on track and strengthening our communities across the East Midlands.”

OnTrack+ has been promoted through the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s (EMCCA’s) careers hub, so schools across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire can benefit, demonstrating how EMCCA works in partnership with organisations to support young people and vulnerable communities.

The CEC said the tool was developed as a foundation of the Post-16 education and skills white paper commitment to strengthen the role institutions play in identifying and supporting young people at risk during the transition to post-16. It said concerns often emerge late in Key Stage 4, when disengagement is already entrenched, and remedial support is needed.

Following a successful pilot, initial evidence and feedback shows earlier identification is already enabling schools to act before disengagement becomes permanent.

Among the schools using the feature is Derby Moor Spencer Academy.

Alma Hrncic, associate assistant principal of the school in Littleover, Derby, said: “Across the system, schools are facing a growing challenge: more young people are at risk of becoming NEET and face difficult transitions from secondary education, yet identification and intervention often come late, when options have already narrowed. 

“At Derby Moor Spencer Academy, we recognised that our previous approach relied heavily on Year 11 teams flagging concerns. Decisions about who might disengage from post-16 pathways were frequently based on late-stage data and professional judgement, rather than a joined-up picture built over time. 

“As our pastoral team expanded, we set out to strengthen early identification — not to label learners, but to ensure that those facing multiple disadvantages received coordinated, proactive support from Years 7 to 11. 

“The Careers & Enterprise Company’s new feature OnTrack+ allows me to use aggregated indicators such as attendance and factors of disadvantage to move from intuition toward clearer evidence, making it easier to spot patterns of vulnerability sooner and document the support already in place. It also strengthened accountability around careers provision and inclusion, areas Ofsted is increasingly scrutinising. 

‘Culture and timing’

“Earlier identification is critical to reducing the risk of becoming NEET, and OnTrack+ enables me to understand the learner group and their needs in order to plan targeted interventions. For example, last year, we held an intensive one-day careers and college application workshop for 60 at-risk learners. With independent careers advisers and local college representatives on site, learners received one-to-one guidance to explore realistic pathways, choose appropriate courses and then complete and submit high-quality applications on the day. 

“The wider lesson is not about data tools alone; it’s about culture and timing. The real impact comes from intervening earlier, exposing learners to a wider range of pathways, and embedding long-term careers planning into everyday school practice. 

“NEET prevention cannot be solved through data alone. But without earlier identification and coordinated careers support, too many young people will continue to fall through the gaps.”