EY Foundation:

The Foundation’s partnership with EY Foundation has seen the first programme of its kind with a specific focus on the care sector and those in care come to an end. The programme, delivered in Potters Bar, Birmingham and Manchester with 45 young people aged 16-19 gaining work experience in CareTech offices and services, supported five cohorts of young people receive 10-month mentorship by CareTech staff.

The young people were given intensive training in core employability skills and the confidence to enable them to transition successfully from school to work or into further education. They received quality paid work experience within the care sector to help them practise their skills and learn about careers in the care sector. The final cohort of 20 young people gained work experience opportunities with CareTech’s subsidiary, Smartbox, specialists in assistive technology. We are delighted by the progress of the Smart Futures and Our Future programmes, which have had an 80% success rate compared to the national average of 55% for similar programmes.