Dr Liam O’Hare, School of Social Sciences Education and Social Work and Innovation Zones, Queen’s University of Belfast.
This presentation is grounded primarily in Conversations Research “The Story I Want My Life to Be” – a co-produced, place-based study involving one-to-one conversations with children and young people in the Greater Shankill about their understanding of participation, aspiration and support. The study’s direct insights are relevant to Assembly deliberations concerning the forthcoming Education and Training Bill – a Bill that is to require all young people in Northern Ireland to participate in education, apprenticeship or training until age 18.
Departing from traditional transitions research, this Conversations Research asked young people not only what they want to do next, but what kind of life they want to live. Its findings revealed how the young participants value education and training as part of a wider picture that includes well-being, family, community belonging and economic security. The participants emphasised happiness, stability and contribution over narrow attainment measures. Their holistic framing and aspirations provide informative evidence when scrutinising the forthcoming Bill and considering the extent to which its Clauses align with these young persons’ views.
Another central finding from this Conversations Research was the importance of pathway diversity. The young people expressed interest in academic, vocational, technical and community-based routes, but identified barriers such as mental health challenges, low confidence, family pressures and negative school experiences. Interestingly, those findings echoed responses received by the Department of Education (DE) during its consultation exercise about the Bill, when respondents broadly supported participation, but they also raised concerns about resourcing and recognition of non-academic and flexible routes. The Research also identified a risk of adopting a narrow, compliance-focused interpretation in that it could deepen disengagement among young people.
Highlighting the importance of trusted adults and sustained relational support, the Conversations Research found pathfinders who trained through this Research enabled young people to articulate aspirations and pathways in ways not captured by statutory systems. Responses to the consultation similarly stressed the need for enhanced guidance and mentoring if participation would be extended to age 18. (This training work has informed the 2025 Community Research Toolkit, demonstrating how structured relational approaches can be embedded alongside legislation to support meaningful participation.)
Another key insight from the Conversations Research concerned social capital and exposure. Many young people participating in the study had limited contact with role models in higher education, skilled trades or professional employment, constraining their perceived options. The Research therefore recommends earlier engagement with employers, colleges and universities through place-based partnerships. There is an urgency to do so, which is reinforced by consultation responses concerning careers education.
At a system level, the Conversations Research showed how the individual voice can inform population-level outcomes frameworks. It therefore recommends scaled Conversations when implementing the Bill, to help inform local and regional planning and to align those Conversations with consultation calls for review and flexibility.
The presentation concludes with key evidence-based considerations to reflect on when considering the Bill and the systems to implement it, if enacted – in particular, the importance of those systems in recognising and supporting the “story” that young people want for their lives.
This seminar took place on 17 June 2026
Download:
Policy Briefing
Presentation
Video will be forthcoming