in this section
Finished School? What next?
Where to go for help
Further and higher education
Night classes and part time education
Financial help when studying
Apprenticeships and work-based learning
Picture
Getting a job
For Contact Details see our A-Z
For information about employment rights, see here
FINISHED SCHOOL? WHAT NEXT?
The official school leaving date is the last Friday in June, in the school year in which you reach 16. After this date it is your choice whether you continue in education, take up a training placement, or look for a job. (Before this date it is illegal to work full time).
Not many people under 18 and unemployed are entitled to claim benefits, but see 'Benefits' section, especially here. Your parents may still be able to claim for you for a while. see here.
You don't need to know what you want to do with the rest of your life, but you'll still need to make some decisions about what you want to do next, and you should start getting help well in advance. While in school you can ask to see a Connexions Careers Adviser for help and advice. Left already? See below for who can help.
Connexions have Advisers working in many different places and can give help and support to young people aged 13-19 (or up to 25 if you have a special need or learning difficulty). If you've left school and want help with jobs, education or training, call in at Castlegate or look for the Connexions logo at a centre near you.
There may be help available in your local community, for example Acomb, Tang Hall and Clifton. For more information about local services ask at Castlegate. For Contact Details see our A-Z.
If you need more specialist help because things are difficult for you at the moment, there are Intensive Personal Advisers, who can give you extra support with particular issues, as well as with education, employment and training.
WHERE TO GO FOR HELP
Whatever your age, there are a lot of options open to you. You may not be sure about what you want to do next. You may know what you want to do but are unsure of how to go about it. As well as help from Castlegate you can also find help at the following:
Future Prospects is open to all ages, and gives free employment and training advice, and support on all aspects of learning and working. Future Prospects also have advisers who support young people. If you are aged 16-25 and struggling with ideas for your future, why not call in and speak to someone. They can give you advice on current opportunities best suited to your needs, especially if you are thinking about work-based learning. They can also help you look at your employability skills and survival skills for the workplace, if you're feeling unsure about the world of work. For Contact Details see our A-Z
NextSteps can help with looking for work, and your choices on learning and education. If you are 20+ ask to see a NextStep
adviser at Future Prospects or VT Enterprise. For Contact
Details see our A-Z
If your English or Maths needs brushing up you can chat to a 'Skills for Life' tutor at
Future Prospects. Both Future Prospects and
York College run free 'Skills for Life' sessions in small groups for you to gain skills and
confidence.
If you are 16-24 and want some help getting ready to look for work or education, there are Personal Development Programmes you can go on (for example Crossroads, York Boxing Club, Volunteering and e2e). They will help you develop your skills and confidence. Financial help may be available. Ask your Connexions Adviser, support worker or at Castlegate for more information or to be referred.
There is a Connexions Adviser for Young Traveller and BME People based at the Traveller and Ethnic Minority Support Service, Ruth Robson. She works with young people 14-19 to help them stay in or access education, training or employment. She also works with people who are black or from ethnic minorities, particularly new arrivals who's first language is not English.
Future Prospects offer support to young people from black and ethnic minority groups to find work, learn new skills and improve their English. They also have Learning and Work Advisers to help with looking for work, preparing for interviews or applying for courses.
If you have a health problem or disability
then Future Prospects offers a supported employment service to people of all ages. They can work with you to find and keep the right kind of job for you, and work with both you and your employer to offer support in the workplace.
You can also get help through the Disability Service Team at Jobcentre Plus who offer a range of support and help towards finding and keeping a job.
For Contact Details see our A-Z
If you are 18+ and have a learning difficulty, then Mencap Pathway may be able to help. They run a 10 week part-time programme to help you get ready for and find work, and then a work placement with an employer. They may also be able to give you long-term support if you get a job after this. This is a Jobcentre Plus programme but you do not need to be on benefits to take part.
FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION
Further education means courses you can do after the age of 16. There's an amazing variety of courses available in York, from academic subjects like History or Physics to vocational courses like Child Care, Music or Construction. There are different levels of courses depending on what GCSE's or other qualifications, if any, you have.
Get advice and information on courses and the choices open to you from Castlegate, where you can speak to a worker or make an appointment for a guidance interview (if you are over 20 they can arrange for you to see a NextSteps adviser at Future Prospects or VT Enterprise.) You can also contact the colleges (York College or Askham Bryan College), or 6th Form Centres at Fulford, Joseph Rowntree, Huntington, Archbishop Holgate and All Saints Schools.
Futures4Me.com has a list of local courses available for 14-19 year olds.
learndirect.co.uk has a list of courses available around the country. You can also call their advice line or send an enquiry through their website.
For advice about higher education at universities or colleges, get in touch with the places listed under 'where to go for help'. York Central Library has prospectuses etc. too.
It may be possible to study part time, or from home through Open Learning Programmes.
NIGHT CLASSES AND PART TIME EDUCATION
Night classes and other part time courses are on offer in lots of different places around York, in hundreds of different subjects: astrology to accounting, politics to pottery.
Courses are often free to people on benefits or a low income. They take place both in the daytime and in the evenings, and courses run from a single day to a full year. You can do a course purely for your own interest, to gain new qualifications or to re-sit exams. For many courses, no previous qualifications are needed.
Lots of colleges and centres offer night classes and other part time courses. Castlegate, Future Prospects and Libraries all have details, and a programme 'Learning 4 Life' is delivered free to every York household three times a year. Learning 4 Life can also be found at york.gov.uk (type 'learning for life course guide' into the search box). Future Prospects can give you advice and enrol you on the right course to meet your needs. For Contact Details see our A-Z
FINANCIAL HELP WHEN STUDYING
If you are under 19, you do not usually have to pay for a college course. However, financial support for students can be very complicated and may depend on the type of course you are studying, your age and circumstances. If you are thinking of doing a course it is worth getting advice about what funding may be available to you. Ask at Castlegate about any of the following.
Educational Maintenance Allowances (EMA's) are available to support young people staying in education from age 16-18. If your household income is £30,810 per year or less (in tax year 08/09), you can apply for an allowance of up to £30 per week, paid into your bank account. Young people on e2e programmes will get the full EMA of £30pw regardless of their parents' income.
If you are living independently and studying, you should still be able to get an EMA if you qualify, based on your own income. If you are claiming other benefits e.g. Income Support or Housing Benefit, these should not be affected. Contact the Learner Support helpline for more information, or look at direct.gov.uk/moneytolearn and see here for more information about benefits.
If you are 19+ you are not eligible for an EMA, but you may be able to claim an Adult Learner Grant of up to £30 per week depending on your income and your course. Contact the Learner Support helpline for more information, or look at direct.gov.uk/moneytolearn.
The Princes Trust offer Development Awards of £50 - £500 to help young people access education, training or work. You must be aged 14-25; it will also depend on your circumstances. You can apply for help with things like the cost of tools you need for a job; getting equipment for a training course; interview
clothes; a CSCS card etc. Speak to a worker at Castlegate or contact The Princes Trust direct.
For Contact Details see our A-Z
Colleges also have Learner Support Funds which may be able to help if you are struggling financially.
If you are a young parent and want to get back into education you may be able to get help with childcare costs. See here about 'Care to Learn' funding.
If you are thinking of going to university, details of the funding available can be found on direct.gov.uk/studentfinance, or talk student services at your college/university.
It may be possible to claim benefits while in education - depending on your age, circumstances and the level of study. Get benefits advice from Castlegate, CAB, Future Prospects, or student services at your college. If you are already claiming benefits, you should get advice on whether or not they will be affected by starting a course. For Contact Details see our A-Z
APPRENTICESHIPS AND WORK BASED LEARNING
Work based learning means that whilst working for an employer you are also able to gain the training you need leading to a nationally recognised qualification. Your training and assessments are usually done by a Training Provider. Castlegate has details of all Training Providers across York and North Yorkshire, as well as details of jobs and training vacancies for young people. You can also look at Futures4Me.com
Look at getconnectednow.co.uk for local apprenticeships and vacancies. For local and national apprenticeships look at apprenticeships.org.uk Many of these opportunities offer a wage, but some may require you to apply for an EMA instead.
Under an Apprenticeship you usually have 'employed status' and a contract with your employer setting out your terms and conditions. Trainees who do not have 'employed status' will be given a Training Agreement covering such things as sick pay, holiday and hours (no more than 40/week) You have the right to join a Trade Union, and can use them for advice about any of these things. Apprentices are not usually entitled to the minimum wage. For Employment Rights see here.
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GETTING A JOB
Finding yourself the right job is not always easy - it may take quite a bit of work. Don't be afraid to ask for help and support.
You can get help from Castlegate to look for job and training vacancies, courses, writing a c.v. etc. There are also
Connexions
advisers based at Castlegate. If you are 16-19 and would like more support or time to discuss your work/learning options, or if
you're not sure what you want to do next, then you can make an appointment to see a
Connexions Careers Adviser.
Help is also available at Future Prospects see here.
Job vacancies can be found at your local Jobcentre
Plus. Local
papers carry vacancies, as do trade magazines - you can look at the
jobs pages in public libraries, Castlegate and Future
Prospects.
You can also search for jobs online by looking on an employer's website direct or search by industry or trade. Use thepress.co.uk or jobseekers.direct.gov.uk or jobcentreplus.gov.uk to search for vacancies in your area. You can use the internet for free for job searching at Castlegate, Future Prospects, York Central Library or your local library.
Private employment agencies may help you find work. A list is available at Castlegate or Future Prospects.
For Contact Details see our A-Z
Be prepared
Think about what you have to offer an employer: qualifications, work experience (a regular Saturday job could show you are reliable and committed), other skills you have gained through the things you do in your spare time. Ask friends and family to help you sell yourself - they will probably think of positive things about you and what you have done that you wouldn't have thought of yourself.
Get someone to practice interviewing you - if you can video yourself, this is a good way of learning about how you come across to others. Future Prospects, and Castlegate can give advice on writing a CV, help with your job search and interview techniques. Before a job interview, look back over your application, and think of what you want to ask them, as well as what they may ask you. Dress a bit smarter than the clothes you would wear for the job.
Self employment
If you're thinking about starting your own business, contact The Prince's
Trust, who may be able to help with business advice and
start up costs etc. For Contact Details see our A-Z