Active involvement of young people can help the Connexions Service to provide a more effective and user-friendly service, develop the skills and self-confidence of the young people who get involved and enhance the local community.

Detailed information on how active involvement benefits the three main groups: Young People; the Community and the Connexions Service, can be accessed from the list on the right.

The benefits for Young People.

By becoming actively involved in the 'shaping' of the service - and having their opinions taken seriously - young people acquire opportunities to:

• Learn more about themselves, about taking responsibility, about working with others and about how organisations work.
• Develop a range of new skills - including communication skills, team-player skills, negotiating and influencing skills, in addition to the practical skills learnt in service delivery tasks - and have support in applying them to new situations.
• Have their new knowledge and skills accredited.
• Increase their confidence, self-esteem and aspirations.

Their efforts should have spin-offs for all young people using the service, since the service is more likely to be responsive to their needs and interests.

The benefits for the Community.

Young people who have benefited from active involvement are better prepared for learning and employment - adding to the skills base of their local community.

• Addressing low self-esteem is also likely to decrease anti-social behaviour (given that low self-esteem is one of the most common denominators in youth offending).
• Poor participatory methods train young people in non-participation in other areas of their lives. Conversely, positive experiences of involvement in Connexions - generating a belief that young people can make a difference - may also lead young people to become more involved in their local community, for example through voluntary work or, eventually, taking a more active part in the democratic process.

The benefits for the Connexions Service.

The more young people are actively involved in the service, the more likely you are to acquire accurate and up-to-date information about local young people, including:

• Their changing needs, attitudes and interests.
• Their views of what constitutes 'quality' in service provision (and whether Connexions is meeting these criteria).
• The key barriers that young people face in gaining access to learning and development opportunities.

The services that young people do use - and the reasons why these are attractive to them (or not, as the case may be).

Armed with this information you are more likely to ensure that the service is designed, delivered, monitored and evaluated on the basis of young people's identified - rather than presumed - needs and interests. This can help staff to target resources more effectively. By involving young people in decision-making structures, you can benefit from their fresh perspective on the tasks that face the service and innovative ideas for its development.