We are proud to announce that our partnership with the EY Foundation has been shortlisted for the Charity Times Awards 2019.
EY Foundation and CareTech Foundation are addressing some of the major issues facing the care sector. The new programme is tackling low recruitment in the sector, skills development needs of care workers and the difficulties care leavers face when seeking employment. Together, the two foundations have identified a critical social need and are collaborating on an innovative, long-term solution to deep-rooted problems.
The CareTech Foundation’s partnership with the EY Foundation is the first programme of its kind with a specific focus on the care sector.The partnership between both foundations aims to address key realities faced by the social care sector and young people, in particular:
- The chronic understaffing faced by the care sector – currently, with 117,000 vacancies, this situation is only going to get worse with Government estimates suggesting 650,000 care workers will be needed by 2035.
- The worrying high levels of care-experienced young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) – only 6% of young people in care go into education or employment. They do not have access to the same opportunities as their non-care counterparts and they face greater barriers.
The solution
In a first for the care sector, the CareTech Foundation has partnered with social mobility charity EY Foundation to create programmes which promote careers within the care sector and help care leavers fulfil their potential by moving successfully into further education and employment.
The partnership with EY Foundation consists of two programmes targeted at specific groups of 16-19 year olds and intended to provide them with core employability skills and confidence. The Our Future programme is intended to encourage more young people to consider care and to grow skills in the sector. The programme helps young people transition successfully from school into work in the care sector or into further education. The Smart Futures programme is targeted specifically at young people in care or leaving care. Care leavers often face barriers when looking for employment and the programme is aimed at helping those in care move into work or further education.
The programme gives young people intensive employability skills training and quality paid work experience within the care sector. They each also receive one to one mentoring to ensure they have the support they need to take steps to thrive in the workplace. All work experience and mentoring is performed by and under the guidance of senior CareTech Holdings PLC staff.
Our Future has seen its first group of students graduate and the second year is due to begin in August in a new location, under the stewardship of new staff.
Smart Futures has already begun in Manchester and the five young people will graduate in August.
The difference the Partnership is making
Three of the young people enrolled on the Our Future programme have described the impact they feel it has made:
Nora, 17
“I wanted a new experience and to prove wrong the people who doubted me. One person in particular always underestimated me. He called me unemployable and I wanted to get involved in things to show him.
“I want to be a social worker so this has been a good experience. I’ve spoken to all the patients. 
I’ve helped them with their activities and I have painted with them and am doing a cookery session
“It feels good. Normally I feel nervous in a new environment but I’ve learnt communication skills; verbal and non-verbal.
“I want to go to university to study social work. This has shown me that this is what I want to do.”
Maleak, 17
“I wanted to gain experience in a business like this and also I find it hard to communicate with new people and so I wanted to build my confidence and I can use these skills elsewhere.
“When I meet new people I don’t shy away from conversations or stutter any more. I’m more upfront about 
communicating.
“My confidence has been boosted and I’ve stopped stuttering when I meet people. The staff here and my friend Nora have told me how much my communications have improved. It feels good. I think it’s helping my career chances.
“Before I came here. My mum was very excited and so was my step dad when they found I was on this programme because there are not a lot of opportunities out there and it was competitive to get this. My teachers are very proud of me. It’s really boosted my experience and skills and it helped me know what the working place is like and the kind of thing you can do.
Mitchelle, 17
“This is my first work experience. It’s been challenging and an eye opener into the real world. I did not know there
were so many disabilities.
“It’s a really serious business because people’s lives are in your hands and they are vulnerable and I’d never experienced that before. It’s much more intensive than I expected. You are trying to take care of them the way you’d like to be cared for.
“I’m learning transferable skills I can use in other jobs. After this I go back to college and I have an assignment based on disabilities as part of my course and this will be really helpful for that.