Talent Finders Event Opens Doors for Care Leavers

Last week care leavers from across Birmingham were given the opportunity to explore exciting employment, apprenticeship and training opportunities at the recent Talent Finders event, supported by Birmingham Children's Trust's Rights and Participation Service and the Leaving Care Service, and hosted at Teamworks Karting in Digbeth.

The event brought together a wide range of employers, training providers and organisations, all committed to helping young people take their next steps into employment, education and training. Such was the success of the day that the venue management described it as the most well-attended event they had ever hosted, with 80 of our young people enjoying themselves on the day. Employers participating included Balfour Beauty Vinci, Barclays, Waitrose, NHS, EQUANS, Solihull Touchwood, Severn Trent, West Midlands Police, SERCO, Youth Mama Media Creative and of course Teamworks Karting themselves.

A special highlight was the attendance of the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zaker Choudhry (pictured below, click to enlarge), who took time to meet care leavers, speak with staff and be photographed alongside young people and our colleagues from the Leaving Care Service. His support reinforced the importance of creating opportunities for care-experienced young people and recognising their potential.

Supporting Care Leavers Every Step of the Way

The Talent Finders Event forms part of Birmingham Children's Trust's wider commitment to ensuring care leavers can access Education, Employment and Training (EET) opportunities and achieve their ambitions.

A key factor in the success of the day was the dedication of the Trust's Senior Personal Advisers (SPAs). Understanding that practical barriers can often prevent young people from accessing opportunities, our SPAs organised extensive support to enable attendance. This included arranging transport, providing travel tickets, setting pick-up points and, in some cases, personally transporting care leavers to the venue.

The event was open to all care-experienced young people, including those over the age of 25 who continue to receive support through the Leaving Care Service's "You're Not On Your Own" offer. This commitment reflects the Trust's ongoing promise that care leavers can continue to access advice, guidance and practical support whenever they need it.

The Difference the "You're Not On Your Own" Offer Makes

The "You're Not On Your Own" Offer ensures that care leavers remain connected to support networks as they navigate adulthood. Whether seeking help with employment, housing, education, training or wellbeing, the offer provides reassurance that they do not have to face challenges alone.

Events such as Talent Finders demonstrate how this support translates into real opportunities, helping young people build confidence, make connections and take positive steps towards their future careers.

 

What Our Young People Said

Feedback from attendees highlighted the value and impact of the event:

Joel said: "Today was good, it was helpful. I feel like people are trying to help me get on the right path and it hasn't always felt like that. I'm 17 and it's hard to find something at the moment. I found things to do with football, apprenticeships and supporting young adults. There were also opportunities in construction and warehouse jobs. I have things to follow up on; it was a good day."

Luther said: "There were a lot of opportunities today. I found things around construction and engineering. I have things to take away with me that I can apply for now. I would say it was definitely worth coming."

Lily said: "It's been good today; I found out ways to get into jobs. I liked The King's Trust, it stood out for me and they have lots of different programmes available. I am going to try their Embark programme; I just need to email the lady."

Rio said: "I am trying to find a career path for myself; I want to find opportunities for now, but I also know that I need to study too. It was worth coming because I have a lot of things that I can follow up on now."

Karar said: "I like this place, it is good. I like that there are people to help me with jobs."

Zaifa said he had signed up for work experience with Nando's and hopes it will lead to a job interview at the end of the placement.

Daniel offered his thoughts on how we could make the event even better: "There weren't many retail opportunities, and I would like to have seen more of that. I was looking for part-time opportunities that I can do around my studies. I liked the space."

 

Looking Ahead

The success of the Talent Finders event highlights the importance of partnership working, the dedication of our Senior Personal Advisers and the value of the "You're Not On Your Own" offer. Most importantly, it demonstrates our ongoing commitment to ensuring care leavers have access to the support, opportunities and encouragement they need to achieve their goals.

By working together, we can continue to help care leavers build brighter futures, reach their potential and know that, wherever their journey takes them, they are not on their own.