Beyond graduation – into employment and other positive destinations
Scottish Government data shows that having a background in care is likely to lead to poorer employment outcomes.
Nine months after leaving school, 21% of looked after young people who were in care for the full year are classed as unemployed, compared to 6% of their peers. For those in care for part of the year, the unemployment figure is 29% (Scottish Government, 2019 [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] ).
After graduation Care-Experienced students can also struggle to find employment.
In this audio, George Dodds from the NHS explains why he feels it is important for the NHS to offer roles to Care-Experienced people.
Transcript
So, for me, Cameron, the way I describe this to people when they ask me is if I had a son or a daughter who couldn’t get a job or had less chance of a good job than a lot of their school-age peers and I had a family business – could be a butcher’s, could be a baker’s, could be an IT business – you’d give them a job, wouldn’t you? You’d give your son or daughter a job in that business. So, if I see the NHS as a family business that I work in now, and I’m lucky enough to have some responsibility and influence, well, why wouldn’t I give care-experienced young people a job?
Care-Experienced students may lack family support and have no role models they can ask about careers. Careers services at university can support them to develop interviewing skills, fill in job applications and build networks. This support can begin from first year and continue until beyond graduation. Many universities offer careers support for alumni.
Postgraduate study
Care-Experienced students may choose to go on to postgraduate study. In the videos below Gary and Lynda about their motivations and the challenges involved.
Transcript
My plans for the future are, looking forward, I’m going to do my Honours year this year, one more essay to go. Get my Honours year done, and then I’m looking to go on to a Masters in Social Work. I never wanted to be a social worker, but now I see the value in a social work degree. I want to get myself educated to a level that I can become one of them to be more like us, because it’s always that “them and us” barrier, so I’m trying to break that down.
Transcript
And, to be honest, I’m now at a stage where I’ve got all these awards, I’m doing really well for myself, but I want to go on and do a Masters. I was always under the impression that because when I progressed from HNC to undergraduate that I would get… basically, I was under the impression that if you progress with SAAS or you progress in your course, you would always be funded. But when I came to graduating now, I’ve been looking to do a Masters, and I’ve found out that’s not the case. I’m at a stage now where I’m £39,000 in debt, and a Masters course costs £20,000, and I’m in a very difficult position because I can’t actually get funding for the Masters courses because SAAS only fund up to £5500 loan for the course fees and stuff. I just wish myself that… I thought if I go to university and work as hard as I possibly can and get all these awards that I would just naturally be able to progress but I’m finding out that that isn’t the case.
Activity 9
What support does your institution offer its Care-Experienced graduates? Check your website or talk to your Careers and Employment team. Make some notes about career advice and guidance, internships or recruitment policies.
Feedback
Universities are employers themselves. As Corporate Parents, we can look at what more we could be doing to employ care-experienced people. You may be interested in accessing training on this through Who Cares? Scotland.
Self-declaration