Care leavers – education, training and employment

You need to be in education, training or employment until you're 18 years old.

16-18 year olds – education and employment options

Further education

At 16 years old, the Virtual School will assign a virtual school personal adviser to support you with further education, training and employment. They will work with you until you're 18. 

They will:

• attend your Year 11 Personal Education Plan (PEP) review meetings
• advise you on financial matters relating to education / training or employment
• monitor your attendance and progress, if you have given permission
• give advice and progress updates to your carers and other professionals working with you
• advise on careers and postgraduate courses. 

18 years plus – education and employment options

Services for Young People can provide tailored advice, guidance and support for care leavers up to the age of 25. This includes:

• careers guidance
• CV writing
• how to write applications
• preparing for interviews
• highlighting opportunities. 
   

Education panel

We have an education panel that you can attend to request funding for bespoke learning, or when you can no longer fund education courses for free (around 19 years old). 

• Your leaving care personal adviser will assist you to complete an application to this panel.
• The panel will invite you to attend. It will be chaired by the Virtual School 16+ team manager and a care leaver team manager.
• They will ask you a few questions about what you are requesting funding for, how this will help you in the future, and how you will support yourself through the course / learning.
• They will then decide whether your request can be funded or whether there are alternative avenues that can be accessed to pay for this. 

Going to university

The Virtual School's higher education offer: 

• A dedicated Higher Education Adviser to support you throughout your university journey.
• Guidance on choosing the right course, university, and career pathway.
• Funding for up to five university open days and/or interviews.
• Higher education workshops covering student finance, bursaries, study skills, and university preparation.
• A University Starter Pack in your first year.
• Equipment and resources to support your studies (capped amount)
• Support with accommodation planning, including university deposits and holiday accommodation arrangements.
• A Virtual School bursary of up to £3,700 per academic year, subject to a needs assessment. The bursary amount is reviewed annually and may change depending on the overall number of higher education students being supported by the Virtual School and the funding available.
• Information, advice and guidance on budgeting, financial planning, student finance, and accessing additional funding opportunities.
• Support to access Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) and other SEND support available through universities.
• Advocacy with universities, Student Finance, tutors, and support services to ensure you receive all available support.
• Support with health and wellbeing, including access to specialist services where appropriate.
• Career planning, employability support, and preparation for graduate opportunities.
• Ongoing advice and guidance to help you overcome challenges, remain engaged with your studies, and achieve your educational goals.
• Postgraduate support 

Training and apprenticeships

You might be eager to start work and / or train while in employment. We work with several teams and organisations who will support you and your leaving care personal adviser to get you ready for employment, build your CV, give a practical view on supporting letters and support you to find opportunities that suit you. 

• Support for care leavers (Services for Young People)
• Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal
• Employment Support (Step2Skills)

Volunteering and other opportunities

Volunteering can make you feel good, give you mental stimulation and provide a sense of purpose. If you're struggling to find work or just don’t know what to do, volunteering is a great way to gain experience and prove commitment to future employers.

It can also give you connections that lead to paid work.You don't have to make a long-term commitment. Find an opportunity to suit you.

GoVolHerts – volunteering in Hertfordshire

Care Leaver Covenant – Connects

Hertfordshire became a signatory to the Care Leaver Covenant in May 2024. This was part of our commitment to expand education, employment and training opportunities and to make the lives of Hertfordshire care leavers better.

The Care Leaver Covenant runs a site called Connects, which shares opportunities and updates to care leavers nationally. All you have to do is sign up to get regular alerts.