If so, Lancashire County Council’s Employment and Support Team would like to speak to you.

The Employment and Support Team have supported young people across Lancashire who are NEET (not in education, employment or training) for over 10 years. Since April 2017 our remit changed to supporting Lancashire County Council’s Looked After Children or those Leaving Care aged 14-25 years, who are looking for the next steps into employment, apprenticeships, training, volunteering and work experience. We now are part of the Virtual School for Children Looked After.

We work with –

• A young person living within the Lancashire boundary (or just over) and who is entitled to leaving care team support from Lancashire County Council – or is a CLA under 16 with a LCC Social Worker. We work with young people aged 14 – 25 years old.
• They must be open to working with us to help them and be willing to meet with and engage with us.

The benefits

• We support the young person and the employer through the employability journey helping both through the transition into work.
• We offer a chance to employ a young person on a trial basis at no cost so you can make sure there is a good match
• Support with travel training to enhance independence and ensure they have the ability to arrive at work on time
• Support on-site in the work place for a limited time to assist with the smooth transition into work (if required)
• Access to funding (subject to availability and case by case assessment) for DBS, transport costs and employer incentives if a young person moves into paid employment including apprenticeships.
• We will support the employer to source suitable training, induction or risk assessments, if required.

Who is it for?

Businesses in Lancashire who:

• Can offer opportunities for young people to trial a workplace in a supportive environment
• Have correct insurances in place i.e. Public Liability Insurance
• Provide suitable health and safety equipment and complete all necessary risk assessments
• Can ideally provide opportunities after a successful agreed unpaid trial period for an Apprenticeship or employment (depending on the age and ability of the young person).
• Ability to offer a mentor or buddy throughout the placement and Apprenticeship.

How does it work?

For further details contact us at employmentsupport@lancashire.gov.uk.