This handy guide provides top tips on taking your next steps into employment, education or training. In this article we explore:

Employment
Education & Training
Additional Support for Young People

Employment

Job Searching

Job searching is the first component to securing your first job. That’s why it’s important you know where to search:
Indeed – Is a free resource that allows you to search and apply for jobs listed. You are also able to search by area and upload CVs to application forms. We use Indeed at YES to produce the weekly Jobs & Apprenticeships List.
Charity Job – Search through 2,000+ jobs, volunteering opportunities and courses to find something right for you.
Love Local Jobs – Get local jobs, advice and inspiration – upload CV’s, receive job notifications.

CV Tools & Tips

CVs are needed for most job applications and it’s important your CV stands out. CXK has put together How to Write a Good CV which breaks it down into 7 manageable sections. It’s important you use Action Verbs when creating your CV, here are 139 Action Verbs to Make Your CV Stand Out. We’ve also got CV Advice – Top Tips if you’d like further guidance with your CV.

We’ve found a video on how to write a CV if you learn better from video content.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a fantastic way to develop skills and experience for your first job. 3VA is an organisation that empowers, supports and develops social and voluntary action in East Sussex covering Eastbourne, Lewes District and Wealden. HVA is working to improve the quality of life for people in Hastings and offer various volunteering opportunities.

Career Quizzes

Do you know what career you’re interested in? If you do, do you know how to achieve it? If the answers no, that’s okay! Here are some useful tools to get some career inspiration and to find out how to achieve your career goals. You can Explore Careers to find out the average salary, typical working hours, how to become, what it takes, what you’ll do and career paths & progression of many different jobs. You can also use Prospects – Job Profiles to find similar information. Both are useful tools and should be used in conjunction for best outcomes.

Interview Preparation

Once you’ve secured an interview, it’s very important that you’re prepared! That’s why CXK have put together some Typical Interview Questions you may be asked, and how to best answer them. We’ve also got some further Interview Advice that we recommend, it looks at the entire interview process as a whole. The YES Interview Ready Guide is another helpful resource with tips on how to ace your interview.

Education & Training

Further Education (FE) is any education between school level and university level including college, sixth form, and alternative provision. Find out more in the YES FE Guide. You can also make sure you’re September Ready with our other guide.

College & Alternative Provision

Apprenticeships

Do you know what an apprenticeship is? Check out the YES Apprenticeship Guide to find out more.

Apprenticeships are a great way to develop practical skills in the workplace whilst continuing education. You’ll be in a full-time paid job but, you’ll also be allowed at least 20% of your working week to study. Go to the Become an Apprentice to find out more.

Once you’ve researched apprenticeships, and you’re certain you’d like to become an Apprentice, you can follow the step-by-step video we put together explaining how to search for an Apprenticeship on any device using the Find an Apprenticeship website.

 

Traineeships

If you like the idea of an Apprenticeship but feel like you need some more experience first, another option is Traineeships. They’re skill development programme that includes a work placement and Traineeships can last from 6 weeks up to a full year. You can find out more on the GOV.UK website, or check out our YES Traineeship Guide.

From 1st August 2023, Traineeships will no longer be delivered through the National Traineeships programme. Traineeships can continue to be offered by providers locally. The last start date for Traineeships under the current programme is 31st July 2023.

T-Levels

T-Levels are an exciting option to consider too! Similar to Apprenticeships, both offer a combination of studies and work placements but, the difference is that T-Levels are based in a classroom 80% of the time with 20% being work placements. Students who successfully complete a T-Level gain a qualification equivalent to three A-Levels. Go to the T-Levels website to find out more.

Additional Support for Young People

Support Services

We work in unison with other organisations to provide the best employment, education and training support possible. Below are some support services that do not focus solely on Employment, Education & Training:

e-motion Counselling offers private and confidential written messages between you and your counsellor every week. Or, drop-in every Wednesday from 5 pm – 7 pm if you prefer brief support.
i-Rock offers face to face appointments in Hastings, Eastbourne or Newhaven that you can book online. You can also chat with them via their virtual drop in service by video call.
Young Minds supports young people who are suffering from mental health.
LGBT Foundation is a national charity delivering information, advice and support for LGBT communities.
NSPCC work with children and young people to prevent and support victims of abuse.
Eggtooth offer talking therapy and counselling sessions, which are available to anyone who would like confidential mental health support. Sessions are offered online, over the phone, or face to face in Hastings.
Mermaids support transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse young people until their 20th Birthday, as well as their families and professionals involved in their care. They are based in Brighton.
FSN aims to provide effective and professional caring action without discrimination and favour for children and young people suffering the effects of poverty, disadvantage, neglect and abuse.

Funding for Young People

It’s also important to consider any funding you might be eligible for to support you as a young person. The 16-19 Bursary Fund is a great way to help with your education-related costs, all the way up until you’re 19. You can also use Grant Search to do exactly that, search for grants that you might be eligible for! Magdalen & Lasher Charity offer bursaries for educational costs in Hastings. Money-Saving Expert also has an Education Grants & Courses page which is full of useful information.

Travel Guidance

For some Young People, travel can be intimidating and stressful. If you stack this on top of other stresses, for example, an interview or your first day in a new job/college, it becomes extremely overwhelming. That’s why it’s important you have the best tools at your disposal to support your travels.

Google Maps is a very useful tool no matter which method of travel you use, especially if you’re travelling somewhere for the first time!

If you travel via bus, you can use the Stagecoach website to check times, prices and types of tickets! If you travel via train, you can use trainline to check times, tickets and hunt for savings! You can even get virtual tickets now, this is especially useful if you lose things easily!

 

YES is a free service that offers support and guidance to young people in the East Sussex area aged 16-18 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), or are at risk of being NEET. Visit the YES page for more information about the support available