We will offer you support and advice from the Virtual School until you finish your post 16 education at College or Sixth Form. We will support you through the Personal Education Plan (PEP) process until the end of your time in year 13. The Virtual School Post 16 Team can offer advice and support to you and your personal advisor.

We liaise with the Skills and Employability Service to offer you advice and guidance on your next steps into employment, education or training towards the end of your time in further education or training, this is arranged through the PEP process.

Through your time in care we offer opportunities to visit universities and find out more about higher education options through programmes such as A2U (Aspire to University) or other opportunities such as attending summer schools, open days or by arranging individual visits.

Entrust offers a Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) Service to support Throughcare Social Worker/PA responsibilities. Careers Advisers can offer expert, independent and impartial advice and guidance tailored to the needs of individual young people to help them reach their full potential and make the right decisions about their futures. This includes:

• A careers interview with an action plan in Year 10
• A careers interview with an action plan in Year 11
• Attendance at a Year 11 Personal Education Plan (PEP) meeting to identify progression needs, or provide a current careers action plan
• Support to help 16 and 17-year olds secure an offer of education or training in the local authority area, including help with transition. The offer can include:
• full-time education in school sixth-forms or colleges
• an apprenticeship or traineeship
• employment combined with part-time education or training
• Attendance at an initial Post 16 PEP meeting
• Careers guidance for 16 to 21 years not in education, employment or training, and up to age 25 for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities. For over 18’s this will need to be requested by your PA
• A guidance interview with young people who meet the required criteria and are wanting to return to learning post 21 years of age, as requested by your PA

The Foundations to Employment project offer a work placement to young people who are leaving or have left care and are not employed or in education/training. when they start their placement – this You will be paid a financial incentive of £20 a day for attending and engaging in your work placement, up to 5 days a week. You will also get a £25.00 incentive on achieving an employability award qualification.

Benefits of the Foundations to Employment:

• A positive experience of the real work environment
• Increased skills, knowledge and self-confidence
• The learning of disciplines, routines and relationships in the workplace
• Increased levels of motivation

Open Door Staffordshire is an employability programme managed through Staffordshire County Council within the Skills and Employability Team.

The purpose of the programme is to support job seekers over the age of 18 throughout Staffordshire.

We offer 12 weeks’ structured work experience usually in the area that the candidate is looking for paid employment. Therefore, during the placement the candidate is gaining relevant and up to date skills and experience to add to their CV and increase employability.

You can find more information on the Open Door webpage on the Staffordshire County Council website. 

If you wish to attend university there are some circumstances, such as not being a British Citizen, where you may be classed as an overseas student by the student loans company and therefore unable to get a student loan.