Future Steps is a new council service that can help you to get qualifications and learn skills you need to get voluntary work, meaningful activities or paid employment. We can help you to start planning your future from the age of 14.
Aims of the service
Future Steps aims to help you:
- increase your confidence and self-esteem
- achieve your goals
- gain practical advice around seeking employment
- take a full and active part in your community
- develop your existing skills or learn new ones
- gain qualifications
- get valuable work experience, and
- get a job, where the wages are paid at the going rate and with the same terms, conditions and benefits as all other similar employees.
Who can use the service
People from all disability groups who would like supplementary training and coaching can use the service.
Help available
When you first come to Future Steps Learning Centre, we will talk with you about the help you think you need and will agree with you the best type of services that will support you for your future. The sort of help available includes:
- Signposting
We can signpost you to leisure and social opportunities, which provide pathways to other services such as gyms, clubs, etc.
- Computer/IT skills
We have a fully accessible computer suite and offer basic computer courses. Once you have got the hang of it, we can support you to move onto a more advanced computer course through Wigan and Leigh College. We can also introduce you to the world of social networking (eg. Facebook, Twitter) to help you keep in touch with friends and find work.
- Literacy and numeracy
Everyone has different abilities when it comes to reading, writing and working with numbers and money. We can work with you to improve these skills and get the qualifications you need.
- Supported employment
We have links with the council’s Supported Employment Service and through them can help you to get work experience placements, giving you the chance to see if a type of job is really what you thought it would be. Current placements include the following areas:
- hair and beauty
- sports and leisure
- social enterprises
- mechanics
- health and social care
- personal and social education
- office administration
- floristry
- retail
- childcare
- joinery
- hospitality and catering
- Qualifications
Whatever your ability, there is a qualification to suit you. Through Wigan and Leigh College and other organisations we can find a course that suits you and support you with your studying and course work.
- Becoming ‘work ready’
There’s lots of advice we can offer when you are looking for a valued role and this can include voluntary or paid work. This includes:
- developing links with your hobbies or interests
- introducing you to new activities
- introducing you to new people and organisations
- skills analysis – we will chat with you about what you are good at and what you like doing
- applying for a job or work placement - writing a CV and filling in application forms
- interview techniques – knowing what to say and how to behave
- preparing for your first day – getting up on time, travelling on your own, and what you should wear
How to access the service
You can either:
- ask your social worker (if you have one)
- ask your school or college to make a referral on your behalf
- ask another ‘professional’ to make a referral on your behalf (eg. doctor)
- contact us yourself, or
- ask a parent or carer to do so on your behalf.
We will meet with you to help find out if the service is right for you. If it is, you may (or may not) have to pay to use it, but this will be explained when we meet you.
