Education, training and work

Legally, you can leave school on the last Friday in June if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays. However, by September, you will need to be in official education or training.

These are your options:

• Stay in full-time education, e.g. at a college, doing A Levels, T Levels (Introduction of T Levels) or other academic qualifications.
• Start an apprenticeship.
• Work or volunteer for 20 hours or more a week while in part-time education or training.

No matter which option you choose we will:

• Offer you access to advice, guidance and support from our dedicated EET Adviser within the service.
• Offer you careers advice and information including help to develop your CV and interview skills.
• Help with travel costs to school, college, work or apprenticeship if you need it
• Give you the chance to attend and help organise celebration events when young people achieve education, training and employment milestones.
• Celebrate your achievements with you.
• Come along with you to open days and job fayres. Find out what opportunities are available and build your confidence in speaking with potential employers.

Cambridgeshire Skills is the county councils adult learning service. We offer a wide range of qualifications and learning opportunities for adults from aged 19 over, such as:

• Skills for Life: Maths, English, Digital Skills including Money Management
• Customer and Management Skills
• Preparation for employment
• Gardening and Green Skills
• Health and Wellbeing
• Supported learning for adults with learning difficulties

Please see our Cambridgeshire Skills - adult learning page for full details of all courses available through us or our delivery partners. 

Many of our courses are fully funded, meaning there is no cost for you to pay.

If you're 19 or older and a resident of Cambridgeshire or Peterborough, who has lived in the European Economic Area (EEA) for at last 3 years, you may qualify for free courses. This applies if you are unemployed and receiving benefits or are earning less than £30,491 annually.

Other circumstances may also be considered for a fully funded place. Our friendly admissions team will be able to advise you, so please contact them.

Email: cambsals@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call: 01353 613103

Advice, guidance and careers progression

Cambridgeshire Skills helps learners discover the range of opportunities available to them in today’s economy. We equip them with the skills and qualifications they need to do well in the jobs of the future.

Our Careers and Progression team are here to help you with your career choices. They can offer impartial advice, support your goals, and help you find the right course for you.

Email: cambsiag@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call: 01353 613103 to book an appointment.

• We will help you access financial assistance, including the 16-19 Bursary Fund of up to £1,200 a year, to support your participation in education. As a priority group for the fund, you can use it to pay for books, equipment, and travel. It is administered by Further Education organisations.

• Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority is providing bursaries for care leavers aged 19 to 22 to build their skills. The funding is on top of bursary funding already available for those leaving care aged 16 to 18. It is us up to £1,200 per care leaver . We will help you apply for this if you are eligible.

New skills bursary to help more young people leaving the care system into good jobs and careers 

Apprenticeships start at Level 2 up to degree level, where you can undertake work-based learning alongside study. You will be paid as part of your apprenticeship and can find out more via Become an apprentice: Apply for an apprenticeship - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• We can support you to access the Care Leavers Apprenticeship bursary if you are under 25 years and never had this before. This is worth £3,000 for new starters.

We don’t take this bursary into account if you needed to access other financial assistance from your Leaving Care service.

We will:

• Pay an allowance to top up your pay to £145 per week if you are working 20 hours a week or more (aged 16/17).
• Pay an allowance to top up your pay to £100 per week if you are working part-time (aged 16/17).

This is based on minimum wage for your age.

We can assist you in making sure you have the financial support in place to help you focus on your studies. This includes help to make sure you have the right student finance in place as well as any other bursaries or charitable funding you can access. This might vary depending on the university you choose.

All young people will be able to access a £2,000 Higher Education bursary. You can choose how this is paid over the programme of your course (for example termly or annually), to help you budget alongside your student finance.

If you need a little more help with costs, we will undertake an assessment with you which will include:

• accommodation
• activities essential for your course
• public transport costs between your student home and where you study if this is over three miles
• clothing that might be necessary for your course

Once you have paid your rent and utilities (gas, electric, water and internet) you should be left with a minimum weekly living allowance. This should be in line with the Universal Credit single person allowance. We don’t include your Higher Education bursary in this assessment. This will be set out within your pathway plan. You will know how much financial assistance you will be receiving and how this will be paid, to help with your budgeting.

If you are in full time higher education or residential further education and your term time accommodation is not available, we will provide you with somewhere to stay during university holidays. Alternatively, we can offer funding for this if you prefer to make your own arrangements. We will provide you with up to the value of the Local Housing Allowance rate in the area you are staying for the holidays. In your final year, we will continue this payment for up to five weeks following the end of your course whilst you prepare to move on to your own place.

Useful links;

Care Leaver Opportunities - Care Leaver Covenant

Children in care and care leavers booklet

Propel - Become (becomecharity.org.uk)

Student Finance

We will:

• Assist you with public transport costs to interviews.
• Cover the costs of public transport for the first four weeks of your job.
• Top up your income if you are employed on a low wage and your earnings are less than the Universal Credit payment after deducting rent, utility bills and travel costs associated with employment. This top up will bring your total income to the value of Universal Credit equivalent plus £10 per week.
• Help with interview clothes if you need it.

Opportunities for work experience, apprenticeships and employment within the council

Care leavers interested in work opportunities within the council should email: Morris@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Internships available at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough combined Local Authority - Internships available (growthworkswithskills.com)