Young carers are three times more likely to miss out on education, training and job opportunities than their peers, who do not have a caring role.
Life as a young carer can have many challenges, but missing out on the same education, training and job opportunities as their peers shouldn't be one of them. Over a quarter of young carers aged 11-15 regularly miss school, and many young carers feel their careers are limited with their caring role.
Mentoring young carers not only helps to bridge the gap by supporting them to have the same opportunities as their peers, but also helps ensure they know they matter, supporting their personal and professional growth.
Seb, 18, who was a young carer for his dad, who has bipolar disorder, tells us how mentoring has helped to inspire him to focus on his career and take advantage of the many opportunities open to him.
"In a way, being referred to Carers First was the best thing that happened to me. I was nominated to be a part of the mentoring programme, and I haven't looked back. My mentor helped me to improve my communication skills and confidence, which in turn helped me to make new friends, and access new opportunities to help me progress and develop."
When we first met Seb, he was 15 and had been in trouble with the police. He was referred by the Youth Offending team. He was guarded and distrustful of professionals and had a limited support network. Seb had low aspirations, believing his own and his family's history would prevent him from achieving anything.
Now, following support from Carers First, Seb is a confident young man with ambitious career aspirations to start his own logo business.
"The programme helped me to understand that I had many transferrable skills – more than I thought. It helped me see that I could turn my life around and have the career I want if I believe in myself. That's the thing about caring; it can affect your confidence, which can have a ripple effect on everything else in your life.
"It helped me to share my experiences, network with other organisations who can help me, and, most importantly, express myself openly."
Seb, who is making plans to become self employed, feels Carers First's Mentoring Programme is helping the future generation of young carers.
"Many young carers are very driven and hardworking, but more funding is needed to ensure that all young carers are supported to have a fairer future. Many young carers have skills that their peers don't have, so the job market is potentially missing out on these driven, hardworking young people without this support."
If you're a young carer or a professional wanting to learn more about mentoring, you can visit our mentoring page here. You can read more about Seb's caring story on our website.
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