Young people brought up in care face huge challenges - and the Government isn't doing enough to help

Last week, an MP summed up a serious problem in British society – care leavers are some of the most disadvantaged young people in our nation.

Meg Hillier – MP and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee – presented the damning verdict on the support available for care leavers in England. “Young adults are being let down by the system that’s supposed to support them”, she said. Earlier in October, at the Conservative Party Conference, David Cameron similarly noted that the outcomes for care leavers “shame our country.”

Due to huge disruptions in their home life and a deprived chance for fair schooling, it’s unsurprising that just 16 per cent of care leavers attain five good GCSEs. Hence, care leavers are twice as likely to be excluded from education, training or employment (NEET).

Growing up in foster care can mean children move dozens of times from family to family and school to school. This seriously interrupts their education and can make catching up nearly impossible. To make matters worse, these young people have often had to cope with abuse, trauma or loss at a young age.

In the Summer Budget, George Osborne set out plans to create 3 million apprenticeships to help push young people into work – a remarkable opportunity to unlock their potential. However, without five good GCSEs, many care leavers fall short of the minimum requirements for an apprenticeship, or lack the soft skills – usually learnt from being in a family – needed for a job.

In response, the Coalition Government introduced unpaid traineeships in 2013. Traineeships deliver the work experience necessary in allowing vulnerable young people to compete. Designed in theory as a ‘pre-apprenticeship’, traineeships have not flourished as intended, in practice. Too often specialist organisations hear stories of care leavers completing a traineeship only to then hit unemployment again. This is not productive in finding life-changing jobs for young people.

It’s heartening to see the Public Accounts Committee has picked up on care leavers’ challenges and is now examining the government’s use of both traineeships and apprenticeships. The Committee will determine how effective these means have been in bolstering care leavers job prospects.

One solution to care leaver inequality is ensuring successful completion of a traineeship leads to a guaranteed apprenticeship. This would allow employers to assess for themselves the capability of a young person during the unpaid trainee phase. Thus it provides real direction for young people to demonstrate their worth.

In addition, specialist organisations, such as Barnardo’s, could provide employers with additional support. To ensure all employers equally support apprenticeships, this additional aid could be funded through the new Apprenticeship Levy, announced in the Summer Budget. Just a small percentage of the levy could be used as a means to incentivise employers to take a chance on more vulnerable young people. It helps knowing that they can provide care leavers with the extra support they might need to thrive.

Last month, Cameron promised to take action on care leavers, and last week Meg Hillier followed through with his sentiment. It is time to match the rhetoric with reality. It’s our responsibility to make sure that all young people have the same opportunities regardless of their background.