Careers Adviser Amnah and our work with home educated young people recognised by prestigious ERSA awards 

​​​​​​​Career Connect has been shortlisted in two categories at the Employment Related Services (ERSA) Awards.

Now in their 14th year, the ERSA Awards recognise and celebrate the exceptional work taking place across the careers sector. They shine a spotlight on individuals, teams, partnerships and providers making a real difference to people’s lives and helping more people move into and progress in employment.

This year, we are proud to be shortlisted in:

1. Frontline Adviser of the Year: Amnah Vicars, Careers Adviser, Liverpool team
   
   Amnah has spent more than 25 years transforming the lives of young people across Liverpool through careers guidance, employment support, advocacy and community leadership.
   
   Amnah began her career with Liverpool City Council, working across housing, regeneration and community safety. A secondment with families involved with social services sparked her passion for helping young people move forward – and she moved into careers guidance.
   Over the years, Ammah has used her networking and community building skills to create new pathways shaped around young people – from developing accredited construction programmes and guaranteed apprenticeship interviews to working with partners to help establish a community-based ESOL programme. Amnah is known as a passionate advocate for young people in the South Liverpool community.
   
   This year, Amnah has excelled in delivering the Youth Trailblazer programme, supporting more than 50 care experienced young people into employment. She also helps them address challenges including low confidence, financial hardship, housing insecurity, childcare responsibilities and mental health.
   
   As well as her frontline work, over the last two years, Amnah has championed youth voice nationally through her contributions to a panel at the Career Development Institute Conference and Lancaster University’s Youth Voice activity in response to the Alan Milburn Review. Amnah is also a Youth Voice Champion at Career Connect.
    
2. Addressing the NEET Challenge (Not in Employment, Education or Training): Career Connect’s specialist Electively Home Educated (EHE) programme
   
   Our work to support young people electively educated at home has been shortlisted in this new ERSA awards category. 
   Our work addresses one of the fastest-growing and most vulnerable groups at risk of becoming NEET across Liverpool City Region. This reflects a national trend, with Department for Education data showing a rise to 126,000 home educated children in England (Autumn 2026). 
   Through the work of dedicated advisers, intensive outreach, home visits, careers guidance and whole-family engagement, we’re reaching young people and families who often face barriers in engaging with traditional services. 
   
   Our relationship-led model combines careers guidance with intensive multi-agency support. Our work includes providing intensive support to young people who are often experiencing significant barriers including anxiety, autism, social isolation, unmet SEND needs, trauma or family challenges.
   
   Our impact has been significant. In Sefton, we achieved a 93% engagement rate with young people who are home educated. In Wirral, 88% of electively home educated learners we worked with progressed into Education, Employment or Training (EET). In Knowsley, 80% of home educated and Children Missing in Education learners progressed into employment, education or training, and referrals increased by 43%. Our St Helens team also successfully responded to a 32% increase in the number of young people who are electively home educated.

Winners will be announced on Wednesday 25th November.

This latest awards news follows on from our shortlisting in two other national awards:

Children and Young People Now Awards

• Leaving Care Award (Sefton)
• Tackling Youth Inactivity (Young People’s NEET teams)
• Partnership Award (Career Connect Sefton and Hugh Baird College)

The winners will be announced on 26 November.

CDI UK Career Development Awards 2026:

• Careers Provider of the Year
• Careers Programme – Non education setting (Manchester Pathways Programme)

The winners will be announced on 2 December 2026.

Sheila Clark, CEO, said: “As we head towards the close of 2026, I’m incredibly proud to see our charity shortlisted for another two awards – taking us to seven different categories across three prestigious award ceremonies.

“ERSA, CDI and Children and Young People Now are leading voices in our sector, and we’re thrilled to be recognized by all of them for the genuine, life-changing impact we’re making.

“We couldn’t have this impact without our passionate advisers, who make connections, build trusted relationships, and provide impartial, informed careers support – shaped with and for each young person.”