ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the education of young adults between the ages of 16 and 19 years; the years that mark the end of adolescence and the beginning of the final transition to adulthood. It is structured under the following four headings: the developmental characteristics and educational needs of young adults; the effects of the wider national context in England and Wales; the characteristics of the current educational provision for 16-19-year-olds in England and Wales; and some conclusions and the way ahead. Although the new competence-based approaches and the emphasis on enterprise can be viewed as a move in the directions, the range of skills and practice in their applications, still need to be developed further if the 16-19 curriculum is to become a platform on which young adults are to acquire the skills for life. The chapter addresses the further development of political and social skills, as identified by the Advisory Council for Adult and Continuing Education.
