What Happens When Care Leavers Design Their Own Employability Support?
Many young people face barriers when taking their first steps into employment. For young people leaving care, those barriers can be even greater.
For young people leaving care, a lack of professional networks and the stigma that can still surround care experience can make it harder to access opportunities that others may take for granted.
Norfolk Community Foundation has been able to fund Break’s innovative employability programme for care-experienced young people, thanks to backing from the Henry Smith Foundation, via our national body UK Community Foundations. Break provide young people with experience of the care system with holistic support, from short breaks to employment and mental health suppor.
Following an impressive pilot, this new funding for Break will help them run a two-year programme supporting 15 young care leavers through work experience placements, employability training and wellbeing support.
Listening first
Rather than designing a programme for care-experienced young people, Break worked alongside them to design one with them. Their input and feedback helped shape ‘Breaking the Mould’, an employability initiative that will help care leavers gain workplace experience while encouraging employers to think differently about recruitment and support.
As one young person involved in the programme explained:
“Not everyone knows what it’s like to have been in our situations and we would love employers to hear what we say. We’re the same as anyone else and if we have a goal we know to follow it. Even though we’ve had struggles we are still hardworking, resilient and strong willed.”
The pilot programme was delivered with Health Transport Group (HTG) in Norwich. It helped young people gain practical experience with HTG’s teams alongside support with CV writing, interview preparation and workplace confidence from Break.
This approach recognised that employability is about more than technical skills. Confidence, communication, relationships and feeling supported all played an important role in helping young people move towards employment.
Learning from the pilot
The pilot demonstrated the value of working in partnership with businesses.
For some participants, it was the first opportunity they had ever had to gain meaningful workplace experience. Before taking part, one young person involved in the pilot said:
“This is the first work experience I’ve ever done, I never had the opportunity through school. I want to be taken seriously as some workspaces might look at my background as an excuse not to take me. For me personally, actual work experience is what I want to get and it’s one thing I’m missing, and I want a job.”
Through working directly with young people, employers gained a greater understanding of the barriers they face and how more inclusive approaches can open doors to talent that might otherwise be missed.
Following the pilot, that same participant was offered a role that had been created specifically for him.
Building on what works
We trust communities to know what will work best for them. The pilot helped demonstrate the potential of this approach and provided the foundation for the expanded programme now being delivered with our support.
Over the next two years, young people will be able to access a range of work experience placements across different businesses. These opportunities will be supported by Break, helping young people persevere and navigate the transition into employment.
At the same time, the programme will continue to work with employers who are willing to rethink traditional approaches and create environments where young people can thrive.
Young people understand the barriers they face and often know what support would make the greatest difference. With our funding, Break is helping to create opportunities that work better for everyone.
We are proud to support community-led approaches as part of our Skills for Norfolk mission.