Transitions and Preparing for Adulthood

Support for Employment

The organisations and programmes below offer information and support for young people getting ready for work. Birmingham City Council’s careers and participation support is now delivered through one integrated team, the Careers and Participation Service, which brings together the 14 to 19 Team, Birmingham Careers Service and the Participation Service.

Use the links below to find out more about:

General information on transition into employment can be found in the Department for Work and Pensions guidance on transition to work.

Careers and Participation Service
Including careers advice and guidance from Birmingham Careers Service

The Careers and Participation Service is part of Birmingham City Council’s Children and Families Directorate. It was set up on 1 July 2026 by bringing together the 14 to 19 Team, Birmingham Careers Service and the Participation Service.

The service gives young people careers information, advice and guidance, supports their participation in learning, and helps them move into education, employment or training. Bringing the three teams together means a more joined-up response for young people, families, schools, colleges and partner organisations.

Careers information, advice and guidance is delivered by professionally qualified careers advisers. Support is available across Birmingham through community venues and other agreed ways of getting in touch. Where a young person is taken on for ongoing careers or participation support, the service will explain who their main contact will be.

The Careers and Participation Service is free for eligible young people who live in Birmingham. This includes young people aged 16 to 19 and, where the council has a legal responsibility, some young people with special educational needs or disabilities up to age 25.

The service supports eligible young people, including:

  • Young people who are not in education, employment or training
  • Young people identified as being at risk of not moving into education, employment or training;
  • Eligible electively home-educated Year 11 pupils and their parents or carers;
  • Year 11 leavers who do not have an education or training place;
  • Young parents and expectant parents, where they meet the service criteria; children in care and care-experienced young people, working with the relevant council services
  • Young people with SEND who need careers or participation support within the council’s legal responsibilities.

Eligibility, and the type of support offered, will depend on the young person’s age, circumstances and needs.

The Careers and Participation Service works from community venues across Birmingham. The venues used may change over time, so young people, parents, carers and professionals should use the service’s current contact details to find the nearest available appointment or drop-in session.

Young people and families can contact the service directly. Schools, colleges and partner services can also make referrals where appropriate.

Supported Internship

Supported internships are structured study programmes that help young people with special educational needs or disabilities build the skills and experience needed for paid work. Most of the programme takes place with an employer, with support from a job coach and an education or training provider.

Students will receive on-the-job training and personalised learning/support to fully prepare them for the world of work and achieve their desired outcomes, which may lead to paid employment.

Supported internships are for young people aged 16 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan and who want to move into paid work but need extra support to get there. Other employment programmes may be available for young people who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan.

We want to help all young people to be able to get a job, training or education place that helps them achieve their ambitions. We work with some amazing partners here in Birmingham, including The Prince’s Trust, to offer mentoring and a wide range of opportunities. More information is available at Jobs, skills and lifelong learning support | Birmingham City Council.

Birmingham offers supported internship opportunities through a range of education providers, employers and partner organisations. Birmingham City Council also supports and hosts opportunities as part of this wider employment pathway.

The Careers and Participation Service has recently audited the Preparing for Adulthood content about employment. This review checked whether the information accurately reflects current employment pathways, supported internships and the support available to young people with SEND. Further updates will be made as service arrangements or opportunities change.

This is a short video about Supported Internships in Birmingham, which was co-produced with interns hosted by Heartlands Hospital and Film Production students at Birmingham Ormiston Academy. The young people had job coaches and employability tutoring provided by staff from Royal Mencap in partnership with DFN Project Search and Birmingham City Council. Both the young people who appear in the video have since secured paid employment.

Birmingham Adult Education Service

Birmingham Adult Education Service (BAES) is part of Birmingham City Council and is one of the largest adult learning providers nationally. More information about employability is available on the BAES website.

The service caters for developing educational needs for learners who are aged 19+. Currently our courses are taught across the Birmingham region. Our classes are small with a maximum of 11 learners per class. The sessions are taught over two full days per week, per cohort. Most classes have the additional support of a learning support assistant or a volunteer. The intent is that learners are given as much individual support as needed. This level of support enables the learners to develop their independence not only educationally but socially.

These courses are designed as a platform to help people to fulfil their potential, personal and/or career goals. 

We currently offer English and Maths at Entry Level 1 alongside the introductory courses which will lead into formal vocational qualification.  We also offer Introduction courses in ICT, independent living and working towards employment.

The working in catering programme is planned as a 3-year progressive programme beginning at pre-entry. At the end of the programme most learners will have developed skills that will enable them to work or volunteer within the catering sector.

The intent of the SEND Provision is that over a period of 3 years, the learners will have achieved an academic qualification and developed skills that will enable them to be employed or suitable for a volunteering placement.

If you are not sure about which course best suits your needs, or you want to discuss future goals, then we are here to offer comprehensive information, advice, guidance, and support. It’s all about the support we can offer you!

If you feel any of the courses are right for you, we would be very pleased to invite you to an assessment day to meet the team and get the right course for you. Please call our information line on 0121 303 4318 or email information@baes.ac.uk if you would like more details or some help to find the right special educational needs and disabilities course for you.

Contacts

Kelly Greevy,  Head of Faculty
Kelly.greevy@birmingham.gov.uk

Jocelyn Riley, Programme Manager
rileyj@baes.ac.uk

Employment by the Royal Association for Deaf People

The Royal Association for Deaf People (RAD), offers advice and support for deaf people looking for a employment. This includes both tips on writing a CV and applying for a job.

Further support and careers advice is available at the RAD website, or by contacting their employment team using the following email: employment@royaldeaf.org.uk