The Fostering Network Wales is pleased that the National Assembly for Wales recommendations to the Welsh Government has put a renewed focus on support for care leavers seeking employment, following our response to the National Assembly’s Enterprise and Business Committee’s inquiry on assisting young people into work last November. 

The inquiry aimed to look at what further support could be provided to assist young people (16-24 years) in finding work in Wales. The Welsh Government has made a wide range of useful recommendations, with the following recommendations relating most directly to care leavers: 

•    The Welsh Government should fund more flexible courses that can accommodate young people who need more time to achieve the required outcomes.

•    The Welsh Government should increase their co-ordination and planning of existing financial support for the third sector to minimise duplication and to prioritise support for the hardest to reach young people in accessing the jobs market.

•    The Welsh Government should increase the investment in its provision of lead workers for vulnerable young people to ensure that they have the one-to-one support that they need to help them find work. 

Dr Emily Warren, director of The Fostering Network Wales, said: “The Fostering Network Wales is ambitious for children and young people who spend time in the care system. We know that some young people leaving care struggle to find and maintain employment as a result of the challenges they have faced earlier in their life, and we have encouraged the Government and others to provide extra support to help them make this transition. We are therefore pleased to welcome these recommendations, and believe that their implementation will be a step towards brighter futures for our young people.”  

“We will continue to work with the Government to share our expertise so that they can make life for young people as they enter independence as positive as possible.”

You can view our initial response to the consultation on our website.