Supporting care leavers into employment
Securing employment is an important step in any young person’s transition to independence. It not only provides financial independence, it also provides a person with self-confidence and a sense of self-worth. The opportunity to engage in employment is widely recognised as an important element of social inclusion. For instance, to ‘achieve economic well-being’ is one of the five outcomes identified by the Every Child Matters framework as most important to children and young people. For young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) life chances are poorer than those of their peers. For example, young men who are NEET are three times more likely to suffer from depression than their peers. Therefore, a successful transition to employment is an important element of overall well-being.
How does this affect young people in care?
For young people in care, successfully gaining a ‘foot in the door’ in terms of employment can be even more crucial than it is for many of their peers. Care leavers are expected to make the transition to adulthood much more rapidly than most other young people and at a younger age. The majority of young people leave care between the ages of 16-18, whereas the average age for a young person to leave home is 24. For many young people outside of the care system, even when they have left home, they are still able to draw on support from their family throughout life. The family home usually remains open to them should they need to return. Most care leavers do not have this type of family support to fall back on.
Finding and maintaining a job can be difficult for many young people in care. Young people from care are much more likely than their peers to experience unemployment, both when first leaving school and throughout life. Government statistics for the year ending 31st March 2009 reveal that 37% of young people aged 19, who were formerly in care, are not in education, employment or training.
There are a number of reasons for care leavers’ poor employment outcomes. Young people from care, as a group, have a much lower educational attainment than their peers. In 2009, 68% of looked after children achieved at least one GCSE, or equivalent qualification, compared with 99% of all children. Children in care have often experienced trauma and a lack of stability, both prior to care and whilst in care, this can lead to disruption in their education and has a visible affect on academic achievement. The resulting lack of qualifications then impacts on their chances of employment.
Lack of stability also impacts on care leavers’ chances of securing or maintaining employment in other ways. Young people may not have a stable address or their living environment may be disruptive to their work life. On leaving care, many young people are placed in inappropriate accommodation, for example in hostels or in lodgings with vulnerable adults. Having to cope with so many facets of becoming independent at once and not always with a great deal of support can make it difficult for young people to gain and maintain work.
More information:
Resources for young people:
Our virtual Job Centre contains helpful advice and resources for young people seeking employment.
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