NATIONAL CARE LEAVERS’ MONTH

November is National Care Leavers’ Month, an opportunity for employers, community groups, learning providers, and other organisations to work together to support care-experienced young people into work and make the process as smooth as possible. Apprenticeships are a great option for young people, including those leaving care. They offer paid employment, including hours dedicated to a skills development programme. All apprentices are paired with a workplace mentor and a learning provider, who provides links to a wide range of support to help overcome any challenges.

National Care Leavers’ Month grew out of National Care Leavers’ Week, which ran for more than 15 years before expanding to the whole of November in 2025. It celebrates care-experienced people and their achievements, raises awareness of the challenges they face and calls for improvements in policy and practice.

From experience to empowerment

This year’s theme, chosen by care-experienced people, is “Leading the Way: From Experience to Empowerment.” It recognises young people’s ability to shape their own futures and use their experiences to improve support for others. Listening to their views and involving them in decisions about services is central to the month.

The latest published Department for Education figures, covering the year ending March 2025, show why supporting young care leavers matters. In England, 40% of care leavers aged 19–21 were not in education, employment or training, compared with 15% of all young people in that age group.

Adding the figures for the same reporting year for the Liverpool City Region’s six local authorities shows there are approximately 1,950 care leavers aged 17–21 in our region. Behind those numbers are young people with different ambitions, circumstances and experiences of support.

Learning while earning

An apprenticeship is a job with structured training. Apprentices earn a wage, receive paid holiday and spend part of their working time developing professional skills with a training provider. For a young person living independently after leaving care, apprenticeships are a good choice as earning money will be a priority. They will also benefit from having workplace colleagues primed to explain unfamiliar tasks and a manager who takes an interest in their development. A supportive, structured working environment underpins any apprenticeship. Entry requirements vary, so it is worth checking individual vacancies. Many don’t require specific GCSE grades to apply.

Getting started can still involve obstacles. Changes of home or school may have interrupted education. Some young people are dealing with trauma, loneliness or worries about accommodation. Others need practical help with interview clothes, identification or paying for travel before their first payday. Support should begin with asking what each person needs.

Help across the City Region

The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Next Chapter Apprenticeships offer dedicated opportunities for residents with care experience, with individual support to build confidence and develop workplace skills.

Liverpool in Work also helps unemployed Liverpool residents over 18 find apprenticeships and training, offering individual advice and help to prepare for employment. Care leavers can ask their personal adviser about suitable opportunities and support through their own council’s leaving care service.

Travel costs need not rule out an opportunity further afield. The Care Leavers MetroCard provides eligible care leavers aged 18–21 with free travel on buses, trains and Mersey Ferries across the city region. A personal adviser can help a young person access this.

Financial support

Eligible apprentices leaving care who are under 25 when they start their programme can receive the £3,000 apprenticeship care leavers’ bursary. This is paid through their apprenticeship training provider in three £1,000 instalments, normally after 60, 120 and 300 days on programme. Eligibility depends on the legal definition of a care leaver, so not everyone with care experience will qualify. The apprenticeship provider can check this with the young person and obtain confirmation from their local authority. The bursary belongs to the apprentice and is separate from their wages.

Employers who take on an apprentice can receive an additional £1,000 for those aged 16–18, or aged 19–24 who meet the care-leaver criteria. The apprenticeship provider receives a separate £1,000 to support these learners who may need additional help in one way or another. Employers who don’t pay the apprenticeship levy (those with a wage bill of less than £3 million) also have training and assessment costs fully funded for apprentices aged 16–24. Right now, a further hiring payment of up to £2,000 is available for qualifying new recruits starting apprenticeships.

Employers must play a role

Amazing Apprenticeships’ Moving On Up programme brings together organisations working to improve access for care-experienced young people. Its employer guide, Top Tips: Recruiting and Supporting Care Experienced Apprentices, developed with the network and the BBC, provides organisations with advice and guidance on recruiting care-experienced young people, including tips on tailoring induction, ongoing support and progression.

Practical suggestions include simplifying application forms, reviewing unnecessary entry requirements and providing a named contact. Once someone starts, a workplace buddy and help with budgeting can make everyday working life easier. Employers should explain how they will use personal information and respect each apprentice’s decisions about sharing their background.

Employers, training providers and anyone supporting care-experienced young people can join the Moving On Up Network for free. It meets online four times a year to share experience and useful resources. Young people can also explore the Care X Apprenticeship Network, which brings care-experienced voices into discussions about apprenticeships and gives them a chance to influence improvements. The next Moving On Up meeting is on 25 November 2026, from 9.30 am to 11.30 am; registration is through the Moving On Up webpage.

For young people exploring their options, Be More’s apprenticeship vacancies are a useful starting point. A conversation with a personal adviser or training provider can help establish what fits their interests, what support is available and how to apply.