In the first of a new Business Echo column, Pam Eccles, Executive Director of LSC Tees Vally, examines topical training and training issues.

One of the challenges facing the learning and skills community at this time of year is the number of young people who decide the type of learning they are in may not suit them.

It is not uncommon during holidays, such as the Christmas break, for young people to reassess their future and to rethink their options.

For many, the choice they made after leaving school in September will continue to be appropriate and relevant. But for others, their choice, which seemed so right at the time, becomes more and more unsatisfactory, leading to a drift in their commitment.

Parents can find this very frustrating, particularly as their teenager will often find it difficult to talk about their reasons for wanting to change. And this is usually because the reasons are many and varied.

Whether at college, school sixth form or in an apprenticeship, they may be on the wrong type of course or they may be falling behind with the work and do not want to admit it. They may be finding it difficult to balance home, leisure, a job, sport and other commitments, or simply finding the whole area of increased personal responsibility very daunting.

The response to these concerns is generally handled very well by the learning provider IF they have the opportunity to talk to the young person. They will take them through the alternatives and support them in considering their options.

The response of parents can be critical to dealing with the situation in a controlled way. We find that young people, not unlike adults in some circumstances, avoid taking a decision and respond to their unhappiness with the situation by ignoring it, often dropping out of learning altogether. In a society where we still have many adults who are not educated and trained enough to benefit from our economy, it is vital we keep our young people interested and involved.

By developing their skills and knowledge to as high a level as possible in their teens, they keep the doors open to higher education, such as university, and progression within a job.

Sources of help available to young people with doubts and problems include the Connexions service, the college, school or a work-based learning provider.

Sometimes an employer can offer support and advice, and certainly friends and family members can be good mentors if the situation is difficult to resolve with parents.

Everyone involved in the training and education of young people is clear that young people excel at what interests them.

There are a vast number of opportunities available which are both interesting and varied. Even if a young person feels they made a mistake initially, they must be reassured that there is a solution: a path and an opportunity which will be the right one for them.