Care leavers choosing to do an apprenticeship from 1st August 2018 will be helped on their journey into work by a new £1,000 bursary payment scheme.
Young care leavers aged 16-24 entering the first year of their apprenticeship are eligible for the bursary. The aim of the new bursary scheme is to help young learners to meet the costs they incur as they transition into work and support them in the first year of their apprenticeship, when wages can be lower for some apprentices.
The changes reflect that fact that care leavers can experience additional barriers when making the transition to the world of work that include particular financial hardship especially around living independently at a young age.
It is also acknowledged that the extra support needed may represent an extra cost to employers. To reflect this, employers and training providers will also still receive £1,000 when they take on 16 to 18 year olds or 19 to 24 year olds who were in care or who have an Education, Health and Care plan.
Bursaries will be paid once to each care leaver in the eligible age range starting an apprenticeship after 1st August 2018, via their training provider.
This new bursary scheme is part of a wider reform of apprenticeship funding by the UK Government. Full details of the new scheme are outlined in the Apprenticeship Funding in England document.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-support-for-young-care-leavers-starting-an-apprenticeship
