Your County - Putting Kent First

Kent 4 star Council

Film clip 3 - youth services

Throughout Kent there are many innovations created specifically to benefit young people. This innovation film features three such innovations: new business start-up scheme, Kent Freedom Pass and Barcode tracking.

You can watch the film clip here (link opens in a new window).

New Business Start-up Scheme

The film sees innovation parents Neil and Sarah at home where they are looking at innovation child James' school work online. Both are interested to hear that the school is running a New Business Start-up Scheme.

New businesses are being encouraged to start up in schools and in return will input into the curriculum and offer students work placements.

Businesses benefit from low cost, flexible start-up accommodation, while schools benefit from work placements and pupils' aspirations are raised by the exposure to entrepreneurial success.

Kent Freedom Pass

Another scene of the film shows parents Neil and Sarah discussing how son James will be getting to the youth centre. Sarah tells Neil about the Kent Freedom Pass that James will be using to get to the youth centre.

For an annual fee of just £50, the Kent Freedom Pass entitles young people to unlimited travel on the public bus service within Kent for a whole year. The scheme is being tested in three areas of Kent with children in years 7 to 11. If it is successful, it could be available countywide. The pass can be used any time of the day on any bus service open to the public, run by a participating operator.

Barcodes Tracking

The final part of the film sees Sarah telling Neil about the clever new youth centre membership card that son James has. The film shows James swiping his card as he enters the youth centre.

The youth centre membership cards have a barcode on them which is read by a computer system. It saves time instead of using a manual system and the information obtained is used to produce statistics that the government need about young people. There is no information gathered that is not already given when joining under the old system and permissions to use the information are asked for when the young person first joins the youth centre.

Copyright Kent County Council 2009