Your personal adviser and our positive engagement officers can help you explore apprenticeships that may suit your interests.

There are a range of apprenticeship opportunities:

• within the council
• with our partner organisations
• with our apprenticeship providers

Apprenticeship bursary

Care experienced young people are entitled to a £3,000 apprenticeship bursary.

The provider will receive £1,000 to provide equipment and support for you.

The bursary will be given:

• in instalments
• after you have completed several weeks on the apprenticeship

Young people in education or training can access the 16 to 19 Bursary via the relevant education or training provider.

Your personal adviser and our positive engagement officers will provide guidance and support.

There is also a range of financial and practical support available to help you study. This includes resources to purchase books, equipment and software. Some resources will be based on the course you are studying and some will be assessed on an individual basis.

There is a range of financial support available for young people over the age of 18 who is entering higher education. This includes help:

• to prepare for university
• whilst studying
• when the course is completed

The financial support includes a weekly allowance which will be provided during term time, regardless of whether you access a student maintenance loan. This will help reduce the amount of student costs and debt accrued. It is also in recognition that care experienced young people may not have extra support. For example, there are additional allowances available during the summer holidays to cover accommodation costs.

Allowances

Your personal adviser will help you apply for grants, loans and allowances that all students can apply for. They will also help you apply for the Fair Access support (practical and financial) that all universities have for care experienced students.

The allowances from Cumberland includes:

• a grant to cover the UCAS application process
• home to university travel grant to enable 3 return trips per year
• a weekly living allowance of £71.70 per week during term time
• Higher Education Bursary of £2,000 paid over the duration of the course
• a grant of up to £225 per year to cover the cost of equipment, textbooks and IT
• costs a computer grant if not used previously
• accommodation costs paid over the 3 holiday periods if needed (up to 22 weeks)
• £500 graduation grant on course completion
• £300 graduation grant to cover the costs of cap, gown, photos and the event/celebration costs

There is a range of financial support available for young people who want to undertake postgraduate studies. This includes help:

• whilst studying
• when the course is completed

We will help to identify support available from:

• sponsorship
• the postgraduate provider
• Student Finance England

Allowances

The allowances from Cumberland includes:

• a grant at the start and end of the course
• a grant of up to £225 per year to cover the cost of equipment, textbooks and IT costs
• a weekly accommodation and living allowance of £90 per week
• £500 graduation grant on course completion
• £300 graduation grant to cover the costs of cap, gown, photos and the event/celebration costs

The introduction to Driving Package is available to young people aged 17 to 21 years.

It is conditional on the young person:

• having been engaged in education, training or employment (full time) for at least 6 months
• having no driving convictions
• paying for 10 (1 hour) car driving lessons

The Driving Package includes:

• 1 provisional driving licence
• 2 theory tests
• 1 theory test resource (booklet or app)
• 10 (1 hour) driving lessons (young person covers 10 lessons, 20 lessons in total)
• 2 practical driving tests

We work with a number of partner organisations to identify a wide range of volunteering and work experience opportunities for Cumberland care experienced young people.

Volunteering in the community can be an excellent way of:

• building your confidence
• gaining valuable skills and knowledge
• helping to build your CV

If you are 16 and 17 years old, we will provide a £40 per week incentive if you are undertaking voluntary work or an education/training activity. However, it must:

• be helping to prepare you for an education or training course
• not be eligible for the 16 to 19 young persons bursary