Your child doesn’t need to know where they’re going

Not many of us know from a young age the type of work we want to do when we grow up. Most of us need time to figure it out, and plenty of us enter into jobs without realising the breadth of opportunities available.

There’s a broad range of training and education routes available to young people today, offering better options than ever before so they can make a choice that suits their preferred way of learning and the career they have in mind. Take some time to look at all the possible pathways with your child and help them work out their next step.

Talking makes it easier

Since the onset of the pandemic, more than a third of parents don’t feel informed to support their children with future career choices.

Talking Futures is designed to give parents, carers and guardians the information they need to have more informed conversations with their children about their future working life.

It is funded by The Gatsby Foundation. Gatsby created the Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance for secondary schools and colleges in England. Having steered good progress within education, Gatsby is strengthening the support available for parents. Because they are the biggest influencers in children’s lives when it comes to jobs and careers.

As a parent, you can feel under pressure to know everything about the options available. But you don’t need to be an expert to be supportive. By understanding your child’s aspirations, you can look for ways to guide them to where they want to be.

Visit www.TalkingFutures.org.uk for information on different education pathways, practical guidance on how to kick start a conversation and signposts to other useful sites.

Help your child to ‘Get the Jump’ on their next step in education or training

For many young people deciding on their next step in education and training can be daunting. The new ‘Get the Jump’ Skills for Life content hub on the National Careers Service website has been designed for young people to help them work out their next move.

It has all the training and education options that are out there for them, all in one place, and shows how they compare and where they can lead to.

By directing your child to the site, they can learn more about T Levels, a mix of classroom and on-the-job training, or an apprenticeship where they can earn while they learn. There are also traineeships, which can help your child get the support and skills to find their way into an apprenticeship or work and Higher Technical Qualifications, which can teach them the new technical skills that employers are looking for.

Your child can find out about these options and more at gov.uk/get-the-jump