Available for Eligible, Relevant and Former Relevant Care Leavers
As a Care Leaver, you can also access financial help if you're planning to stay at school, move into further education or start a training course. However, this bursary isn't available if you decide to start an apprenticeship.
The bursary is paid to your school, college or employer and can be used to help you to continue to learn and study. There are two funds available:
- A bursary of up to £1200 for young people who are in care or have recently left care.
- School or college specific bursaries, these are available if you have an EHCP or continuing a course you started from ages 16-18 when you're 19.
Your school or college support services will be able to tell you if you can apply for a specific bursary.
If you decide to start an apprenticeship, the Government will give you a £1000 bursary to help with practical costs and to help you move into work based learning successfully.
The bursary will be provided to any care leaver who starts an apprenticeship and is between the ages of 16-24. This will come to you as a one off payment from your training provider.
Your training provider and personal advisor will help you access this bursary.
In Cumberland we are committed in ensuring that all our Care Leavers have the opportunity to move into a progressive and successful career. This could be through an apprenticeship that allows you to learn on the job and earn a real wage at the same time. There are a range of apprenticeships available across Cumberland. They can be found here:
The Council has a wide range of rewarding apprenticeships on offer that lead to a fulfilling career right across Cumberland. As a Cumberland Council Apprentice you will:
- Make a real and positive difference to people and communities right across the county;
- Develop transferable skills that will be valuable for your future career;
- Work in a real fast paced environment working with skilled and knowledgeable officers who want you to succeed;
- Have a personal mentor who will support you to be the best you can be;
- Get the opportunity to access professional development opportunities which will help to further accelerate your career;
- Gain a recognised apprenticeship qualification with the opportunity to progress. (While there is no guarantee that a position would become available at the end of your apprenticeship, as an apprentice you will have access to the Council's internal job vacancies list which is only available to council employees, improving your chances of getting a permanent job.);
- Be supported with travel costs of up to £15 per week which will help you keep more of the money you make;
- Have contact with the Council's dedicated apprenticeship team who will ensure your apprenticeship is as successful as possible;
- Get the right support to help you get a job at the end of the apprenticeship.
To access our apprenticeship opportunities visit our Apprenticeship pages
Cumberland are pleased to offer a guaranteed interview to any Care Leaver between the ages of 16 and 25 years who meet the essential criteria set out in the specification for the post. This means people aged between 16 and 25 who have been in the care of a Local Authority, who apply for a job with us, and tell us that they are a care leaver, will be guaranteed a job interview provided they meet the specified essential criteria.
To tell us you meet the criteria for the guaranteed interview scheme for Care Leavers please tick the relevant box on our application form. You do not have to disclose if you are a care experienced young person, but by not doing so we cannot automatically consider you for the post you have applied for.
Available for Eligible, Relevant and Former Relevant Care Leavers
In helping to develop your CV, you sometimes may have to undertake unpaid work experience to aid your skill set. We do recognise that this may reduce the time you can spend in paid employment.
We will therefore pay you up to £20 per week for such activities, however this work experience or volunteering will have to be deemed suitable and will be reviewed monthly. Your personal advisor will help you access this funding.
The national website called do-it.org holds lots of volunteering opportunities you can access that can act as valuable sources of work experience. Fins this website by searching for www.do-it.org online.
This is a judged payment based on your circumstances
To support you to move into a career of your choice, you may have to undertake additional training or practical courses to ensure you have the necessary additional skills.
You will need to show us that the additional training course will support the development of your career. Your personal advisor will help you apply for up to £100 funding that can be used for these courses.
We recognise that you may not be ready to go straight into an apprenticeship and may need extra time or support to make the step up. If so, we are still fully committed to supporting you to reach your potential through the Council's traineeship scheme.
A traineeship is a step up programme into an apprenticeship or other training route. Through a traineeship you will gain work experience, English, Maths and ICT skills and other employability skills. All of which will support you becoming ready for an apprenticeship with the council or one of our partners.
Whilst on a traineeship, you may be eligible for a free bus pass to help over the cost of travelling throughout the programme. The offer is targeted and your personal advisor and apprenticeship team will offer you a free bus pass if you are eligible for the scheme.
Alternatively contact us by:
Email: apprentice@cumberland.gov.uk
Telephone: 01228 221400
We also recognise that you may find the workplace daunting and how to make a good start maybe a little confusing. The Council along with our NHS colleagues are working to create a series of short work experience programmes. Available right across the county, these include working in an acute hospital ward, in civil engineering or as a carer as examples of available opportunities.
The programme will give you the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, gain work related experience and allow you to get a taste of different careers to help to start to shape plans for your career.
Available for Eligible, Relevant and Former Relevant Care Leavers
A number of jobs or training courses may require you to wear specific clothing or use specific equipment. You may have to purchase this clothing or equipment yourself which can be expensive.
Your personal advisor can help you access £250 which can be used to buy such clothing or equipment. This funding may be paid in instalments where appropriate.
In addition, we can provide up to £50 to help you purchase clothing for an interview. Your personal advisor will also be able to help you access this funding.