4. Your education and work life
Oldham Council is dedicated to helping you move from living within care into a career.
Your education and finding work is vitally important as you make this important transition and we’re here to help.
Your pathway plan and personal education plan should already have information about what your career ambitions are and there are a range of people who can help you to make sure that these are achievable.
Your first point of contact is to speak to your personal advisor on:
- Phone: 0161 770 1171
- Email: careleavers@oldham.gov.uk
You can access career advice from Positive Steps Oldham or the National Careers Service depending on your age.
What are my career options?
You can leave school on the last Friday in June as long as you are 16 years old.
If you are aged 16 or 17, the Government advise that you must stay in some form of education or training until your 18th birthday (if you were born on or after 1 September 1997).
Your options are:
- Full-time education – e.g. school or college
- An apprenticeship or traineeship
- Full time work or volunteering combined with part time education or training. If you are a worker aged between 16 and 17 you may be entitled to some time off work to gain further qualifications.
Please contact your personal advisor for help.
Apprenticeships
The rate for apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those aged 19 or over who are in their first year is £3.30 per hour
All other apprentices are entitled to the national minimum wage for their age:
- Under 18 £3.87 per hour
- 18 – 21 £5.30 per hour
- 21 and over £6.70 per hour
These rates are usually reviewed every October.
There are lots of websites you can use to find apprenticeships and jobs:
- Find an apprenticeship - GOV.UK website
- Find a job - GOV.UK website
- Apprenticeships and traineeships - Oldham College
Funding
16-19 bursary
If you are a looked after child or a care leaver you will be entitled to the 16-19 bursary whilst you are leaning which means that you will receive some money to help you out.
This money will usually be paid on a weekly or termly basis by your college or training provider and it is linked to good attendance. In total the bursary can be anything up to £1,200 over a full year.
- 16 to 19 Bursary Fund - GOV.UK website
Learner support
If you are 19 plus you may be able to apply to the discretionary learner support fund:
- Learner Support - GOV.UK website
The Oldham College Bursary
The Oldham College Bursary are government funds which are available to provide eligible students help towards course-related expenses such as travel, course related trips, books, equipment, free meals and childcare.
- Student financial support - Oldham College
The After Care Team
The After Care Team may be able to help out with money for essential items that are needed for your programme of study.
If you would like to study at university, there is further support available. You can apply for financial support from Student Finance but with your cooperation we will also assess your situation and provide additional financial support if needed (dependent on means testing).
To contact the After Care Team:
- Phone: 0161 770 6598
- Email: careleavers@oldham.gov.uk
Care leavers aged 21 - 25
The After Care Team in Oldham will strive to support care leavers who want to stay in appropriate education or training until they are 25 to ensure that our young people can achieve their career ambitions.
Care leavers aged 21–25 years may be entitled to continuing support from a personal advisor if they have returned or want to resume a programme of education or training.
Can I get support?
You may be entitled to support if you are:
- A care leaver aged under 25 years
- No longer receiving support from your After Care Team
- Wanting to start education or training or have already gone back to education or training
What is meant by a programme of education or training?
A programme of education or training may include options such as:
- Basic skills course
- Numeracy and literacy
- Further education
- Higher education/university
- Vocational course
What will we do for you
A social worker from the After Care Team will make contact with you to arrange a needs assessment about the appropriateness and suitability of the education or training course and how this will help you to achieve your ambitions.
The assessment will consider information about your skills and capabilities set out in your previous pathway plans up to age 21 and consider the type of course (full/ part time), your income, any impact on your accommodation and/or welfare benefits.
If you are experiencing any practical or emotional difficulties that are preventing you from returning to education or training immediately, the assessment will consider any support service that we can provide to you to overcome these difficulties so that you can return to education or training up to age 25 if this is your wish.
We will appoint you a social worker and prepare a pathway plan – if after the assessment your request for support is agreed, we will appoint a personal advisor who will re-instate your pathway plan and update it to reflect the specific focus on the agreed educational outcomes for you. Your re-instated pathway plan will include any support and assistance we will provide for you including, if agreed any financial support.
How long will the support last?
Your entitlement to support from a personal adviser starts from the time you inform us of your intention to resume or continue a programme of education or training and lasts for as long as you continue to pursue or complete the agreed programme.
What happens if no support is provided?
In some cases the local authority may refuse support to you.
This may be due to a number of issues such as the course not being appropriate, previous concerns regarding your lack of engagement or because you refuse permission for the local authority to contact the education or training provider.
Where the local authority refuses your request for support, the reasons for this decision must be clearly explained to you and recorded.
You should be provided with details of the Children’s Rights Service and information about who to contact should you want to make a complaint or appeal this decision.
What if you don’t want to resume education or training?
Your personal adviser will encourage any care leaver who is not in education, employment or training to take up this offer of support for advice and assistance to resume a programme of education or training. They will ensure that you are aware of your entitlements should you want to resume or return any time before your 25th birthday.
The After Care Team may be able to help out with money for essential items that are needed for your programme of study.
If you would like to study at university, there is further support available. You can apply for financial support from Student Finance but with your cooperation we will also assess your situation and provide additional financial support if needed (dependent on means testing).
To contact the After Care Team:
- Phone: 0161 770 6598
- Email: careleavers@oldham.gov.uk
Get Oldham Working
At Oldham Council we want to provide our looked after children and care leavers with suitable opportunities for getting in to work.
Our Employability Team are called ‘Get Oldham Working’ and you can register for regular job updates.
They are available for face to face meetings every week at Oldham Library on Tuesday afternoon and at the Jobcentre in Oldham every Wednesday afternoon.
They have a wide range of local jobs but they also look after the recruitment for apprenticeships and traineeships within Oldham Council itself.
If you show your commitment by working with them and applying for their vacancies, they will assess your skills and abilities and they will strive to prioritise your application as part of our commitment to helping you achieve the job that you want.
Oldham's Virtual School
The Virtual School will help with all aspects of education when you are in statutory education.
The Virtual School works with you, liaising with the schools they attend, tracking progress and supporting you to achieve to the best of your ability.
National Careers Service
The National Careers Service provide information, advice and guidance to help you make decisions on learning, training and work.
National Insurance Number
You should receive a letter with your National Insurance Number on it just before you turn 16 years old.
This is a really important piece of information so it is important to keep it safe.
It’s unique to you and you will keep the same number all your life. It makes sure that the national insurance contributions and tax that you pay are properly recorded against your name so you will need this number when you start work or if you need to claim benefits.
Call the National Insurance Numbers helpline if you didn’t get one on 0300 200 3502.
Support with claiming benefits
Sometimes it may be necessary to seek financial help from the Jobcentre. There are a number of different types of benefits depending on your personal circumstances.
You can also get up to date information and advice from Jobcentre Plus