Career Connect’s Sefton team attended a special careers event for care-experienced young people on Wednesday 25 October, as part of National Care Leavers Week 2023. Sefton Career Marketplace took place at Sefton Adult Community Learning Centre.
Career Connect staff were on hand to give careers advice and guidance, alongside Sefton Community Learning Service, Sefton At Work, The Prince’s Trust, Mikhail Hotel and Leisure Group, the DWP and others. There were also wellbeing sessions to promote good mental health.
Organised by Sefton@Work as part of the Sefton Caring Business Charter, Sefton Career Marketplace is part of the local authority’s commitment to young people with experience of care. More than 50 local organisations have already signed up to the charter, agreeing to provide high quality opportunities to young people with experience of the care.
Claire McGuire, Service Manager for Employment & Learning at Sefton Council said “For a variety of reasons, young people involved with care can miss out on the careers guidance and education they’re entitled to. This leaves them feeling less equipped to understand career opportunities open to them and how to get into them – which can negatively affect their personal aspirations and self belief.
“This event aims to spark the interest of the young people attending. Through the Sefton Caring Business Charter, we aim to show them that we’re providing opportunities they can be a part of.”

[L-R] Event organiser Macy Loasby, Sefton@Work; Claire Maguire, Sefton Council; and Sarah Vaughan, Career Connect.
As one of the founder partners of the Sefton Caring Business Charter, Career Connect has just appointed a care-experienced young person to a Business Administration Apprenticeship, beginning later this month.
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