Jobs and work support for care leavers

We’re here to help you find your feet and feel confident about your next step. If you’re thinking about work, training, or just exploring your options, we can support you with things like:

• Chatting through different career ideas
• Creating a CV that really sounds like you
• Finding job opportunities that feel like a good fit
• Getting ready for interviews so you can walk in feeling calm and prepared
• Starting a new course or training if that’s the direction you want to go

And because you’re a care leaver, you’ll have one main contact at the Job Centre, someone who gets to know you and sticks with you along the way.

Elevate

Elevate is a friendly, welcoming service in Wokingham designed to help young people figure out their next steps, especially if you’re not currently in education, employment or training. It’s also open to young people with SEND up to the age of 24.

Think of Elevate as a place where you can sit down with someone who genuinely wants to help you move forward, at your pace, in a way that feels right for you.

Elevate can help you with:

• Working out what kind of career might suit you
• Finding courses or training you might enjoy
• Apprenticeships
• Job searching
• Work experience
• Volunteering

The team is warm, down‑to‑earth, and used to supporting young people who might feel unsure, overwhelmed, or like they don’t know where to start. They’ll help you break things down into manageable steps, celebrate your progress, and support you in becoming more confident about your choices.

Find out more about how Elevate can support you.

Smart Works

Smart Works is a UK charity that helps women who are unemployed or on zero-hours contracts get free, interview-ready clothes and support to ace their interviews. If interviews make you feel a bit nervous (which is honestly so normal), Smart Works is here to help you feel prepared and positive. They offer:

• Support with improving your CV
• Friendly interview practice
• A fresh interview outfit to help you feel comfortable and confident

And if an outfit can’t be sourced through them, don’t worry, we’ll make sure you have one. You deserve to walk into your interview feeling good about yourself.

Internships with the Council

Getting real-world experience can be a huge boost, and we want to make sure you’ve got those opportunities. That’s why we offer a Summer Internship just for care leavers at Wokingham Borough Council.

We’re working to create more internships in the future too. Your Personal Advisor (PA) can talk everything through with you and help you get involved when you feel ready.

Apprenticeships with the Council

If an apprenticeship sounds interesting, we’d love to support you. When you apply for an apprenticeship with Wokingham Borough Council and meet the minimum requirements, we’ll guarantee you an interview.

Your Personal Advisor (PA) is on hand to help with understanding the roles, getting prepared, and feeling confident.

Young Experts

Your voice and your experiences really matter. As a Young Expert, you’ll have the chance to work with the council and help shape services for other young people, a real opportunity to make a difference.