Young carers often trade off their careers to support loved ones. We at Future U want to ensure that every young carer gets the opportunity to make an informed decision about their future by offering them the support they need.
We have partnered with educational institutions across Lancashire to break down the barriers faced by young carers, especially when considering higher education.
Currently, we are running an online mentoring programme for pupils who identify as young carers. Our Outreach Officers, Andy and Oliver, deliver a fortnightly session where they work through a range of activities designed to equip participants with the knowledge and experiences to plot their future career path.
The programme is divided into five sessions: Identifying Challenges, Showing Character, Dealing with Change, Being in Control and Making Choices. Each session focuses on the struggles faced by young carers and includes tips and hints to overcome them. We are currently delivering these sessions online to 6 young people from Lancashire in partnership with Barnardo’s and hope to expand the programme to reach more young people this year. We have also introduced two additional sessions that cover Future Pathways and Student Finance that have been developed to inform parents/ carers as well.
Oliver, Outreach Officer at Future U, said, “It’s been a pleasure to work with such a committed group of young people throughout these mentoring sessions. Despite the responsibilities and pressure of being a young carer, they have shown great commitment to the sessions, learning about concepts such as the Belief Cycle and the Healthy Mind Platter. It’s been inspiring to hear how they have been using these ideas to make positive changes in their own lives and I’m excited to continue supporting the learners to make some big decisions about their future pathway in the final sessions.”
We are committed to identifying and holistically supporting young carers in Lancashire to ensure that they get equal access to the training and development that will guide them in their employment, education and personal lives.
To learn more about the session, click here.