leavingcare.org

New national work experience and employment scheme for care leavers launched

Care leavers are highlighted in a new Government strategy to improve social mobility and it announces NCAS partnership project to support young people leaving care to achieve their career goals.

 

In December last year National Care Advisory service (NCAS) hosted a roundtable discussion with leading experts in leaving care and the Lords Minister for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Baroness Morgan. The seminar looked at the issue of social mobility for care leavers and asked ‘what could make the difference?’.

 

We are pleased to report that care leavers feature in the new social mobility White Paper 'New Opportunities: Fair Chances for the Future' launched by the Prime Minister today. The document sets out the Government’s agenda for ‘capturing the jobs of the future and investing in families, communities and citizens throughout their lives to help them get on and ahead’.

 

Specific Government proposals will help care leavers overcome barriers to work through extended periods of work experience, training and mentoring. These include:

  • Funding the National Care Advisory Service, supported by the young people's charity Catch22, for the next two years to work with 9 local authorities next year, and half of all local authorities in 2010-11, to develop and test models of support into employment with a view to a phased national roll out from 2010-11;
  • The programme will work with national employers, such as companies like Norwich Union, Reed, BAA and SERCO, who will offer opportunities for work experience and mentoring support to help care leavers into work;
  • All suitably qualified care leavers are entitled to the offer of an apprenticeship place from 2009;
  • Specialist youth homelessness advisors will work with local authorities to improve the quality/suitability of care leavers' accommodation. 

 

NCAS contact details

The project is due to start April 2009 and NCAS would love to hear from you to register your interest and to tell us about work experience and employment schemes you already know about. Email claire.baker@catch-22.org.uk.