Goals, aspirations and opportunities for your education and career
Developing your independence means starting to look ahead to the future, thinking about goals and milestones, and how to get to where you want to be in life. Of course, a lot of this revolves around thinking about education, work and career opportunities, but it is generally about being hopeful and aspirational for the next steps in life.
All of your workers, carers, teachers and wider family and friends can be ambitious for you and help you achieve your goals in life – whether those be in your personal life, in relationships, in your studies, hobbies or career.
Through your pathway plan, as well as your personal education plan, your workers will listen to you about your own ambitions for life. They will hear about what you like to do, what you’re interested in and what you’d like to do in future and focus on these things. If, at any point, you don’t feel like people are listening to you about what you want to do, you can either speak with your workers, your IRO or get in touch with the Participation team whose job it is to get your voice heard.
As well as your workers, we also expect your carers to be engaged in your goals and interests. For example, they might help you get to football training or a drama club during the week. They might help you with your homework or talk to you about what kind of work or education course you’d like to do. They might give you advice about applying for jobs, getting work experience or how to get into University. Whatever it might be, they’re there to help you.
Info and opportunities
For more information about education, work, career and extra-curricular opportunities, check out the links below:
- The SUSU website has a summary of what’s available locally for you, including how to get in touch with the Step Forward team, and what financial support is available to help you during your studies.
- The Care Leaver Covenant website has lots of opportunities listed online with companies and organisations signed up to their promise to help care-experienced young people aged 16-25.
- Sky Up, in collaboration with Spectra and the Care Leaver Covenant, are offering tech grants to help 1000 care leavers get set up for living independently by providing free broadband and devices. As well as this, Sky are offering opportunities to care leavers who want to gain skills and experience working in creative industries. To find out more and apply, you can email info@mycovenant.org.uk and use the header Sky application. You can also speak to your PA about this.
- Become have published five key messages on supporting care leavers into employment which were raised by prominent care-experienced people working in journalism, TV and film, digital media.
- If you’re thinking of going to university, the Propel website lets you search every University so you can find out what support they offer care-experienced young people. They also have some general advice about what to consider before going to University and what it’s like when you’re there.
