Wednesday, October 5, 2011

"what next?" event returns



After a break of eight years 2011 will see the return of the what next? events that were run between 2000 and 2003.
For the last two years the Transition Group of Birmingham City Council have run Information, Advice and Guidance events aimed at young people with LDD, their families, friends and professionals who support them. The events provide an opportunity to find out about the range of support and provision available to help young people with LDD make a smooth transition to adult life.
This year Connexions Birmingham is taking the lead in organising these events with support from the Disabled Children’s Team and we have taken the opportunity to link the events to our established what next? publication.
This autumn there will be two events:

  • Thursday 20 October from 1.00pm to 8.00pm
    The Saffron Centre
    256 Moseley Road
    Birmingham B12 0BS
  • Thursday 3 November from 3.00pm to 8.00pm
    Carrs Lane Church
    Carrs Lane
    Birmingham B4 7SX

We are expecting a wide range of organisations, agencies and services to exhibit at the events including:
Children’s and Adult Disability Teams
Voluntary organisations
Supported Employment Services
Local colleges with supported learning courses
Training providers
Organisations supporting independent living
Schools have already had some initial information about the events and flyers are being sent out to all young people in Years 9 to 14 who have a statement. A supply will also be available to area teams so that you can pass them on to other young people who you think would benefit from going to one of the events.
The events are also a great opportunity for you to update your own knowledge of the options and support for LDD clients.
Following feedback from schools, the event on 20 October is going to start at the earlier time of 1pm so that groups of young people can attend the event and get back to their schools before the end of the school day.
There are also going to be workshops at both events, which visitors can attend to find out more about transition planning and services that support transition.

Beyond 16

Beyond 16 is our guide - online, in print and downloadable PDF - to help you make decisions about what to do when you finish Year 11. It has just been completely updated and revised for young people who will finish Year 11 next summer. It covers the four main options available to you when you leave school:
  • taking an education course at school or college
  • joining an Apprenticeship programme with an employer
  • starting a Foundation Learning programme at school, college or with a work-based learning provider
  • finding a job, ideally with some training provided
You can get Beyond 16 through the Connexions Birmingham website.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Higher Education Myth Busting Materials


We’ve been working with Aimhigher to develop some Higher Education myth-busting materials, which are now live on our website:
Also, our revised LMI World of Work webpages are available for more information about the Labour Market, covering topics like:
  • What is Labour Market Information (LMI)?
  • How can LMI help me beat the recession?
  • World of work headlines
  • Local job trends
  • What are employers looking for?
  • Building your skills and experience