There are many reasons why we should explore the opportunities available to us for employment. You may be unemployed or looking for better career prospects, professional growth or you may be considering a change in career direction. Whatever the reason there are lots of opportunities available and some things for you to consider. The first place to start is by deciding what you are interested in – think about what you want to be spending the majority of your time doing.

Your passions and interests are important when deciding your next steps – you will want to do something you enjoy and have an interest in or you could become disinterested and unsatisfied in your role.

Some things you can consider if you prefer:

• Working in groups/with others
• Working alone
• Being outside/active

These are just a couple of things to consider when deciding your next steps.

Volunteering is a good way to earn experience, meet new people and create networks for yourself which can come in handy later in life.

Volunteering can be done in a variety of settings such as –

• Health and social care settings
• Charities
• Retail
• Third sector

Whatever your interests, you will be able to find something that suits you.

The benefits of volunteering are:

• Experience – gain experience in a field that interests you or try something different.
• Contacts – you will meet lots of people and can help you build a network.
• Flexible – You can decide how many hours of your time to give to suit you.

If you are receiving benefits, volunteering does not affect them. Volunteering can be a great way to gain experience and meet new people and gain some skills in a field you are interested in.

Another option to consider may be apprenticeships. There are a lot of apprenticeships available in a variety of areas. Some apprenticeships are specifically for care leavers. The benefits of apprenticeships are:

• Paid – apprenticeships are usually paid.
• Experience – you learn while you work, gaining skills and experience.
• Qualification – you will receive qualification(s).

Apprenticeships may affect your benefit entitlements depending on the pay and hours. There are also other ways to learn outside of traditional routes. Youth achievement awards, Duke of Edinburgh and sports leaders UK awards are all recognised qualifications. There are also programmes offered by the NHS, Police and Fire service that you can gain qualifications through. The best place to start is to think about what field you are interested in and finding opportunities in that field.

You may be able to:

• get work through the ‘Find a job’ service
• find an internship through Care Leaver Covenant
• find Civil Service care leavers’ internships

Here you will find information on volunteering and volunteering opportunities.

Here you will find some information on apprenticeships.