Over the last three years local authorities in England have been implementing the latest UK government policy on education and training provision for 14-19 year-olds and Kent County Council is no exception. Sue Dunn, KCC’s Head of Vocational Education, now feels it is time to evaluate the programme’s progress and Pascal has been awarded the 15 month contract (beginning September 2007) to carry out the work. The UK Department for Education and Skills (DfES), with the aim of encouraging young people to stay in education until at least the age of 18, in 2003 embarked on a programme to offer further education college-based education and training to secondary school pupils from age 14.  Objectives of the policy include ‘the provision of better vocational routes to equip young people with the knowledge and skills they need for further learning and employment’ and ‘to re-engage the disaffected’.