Christmas and New Year 2013/2014

During the two holiday weeks, from Monday 23 December 2013 to Friday 3 January 2014, all Connexions outreach venues will be closed EXCEPT for the drop-in sessions at Clifton Road on Monday 23 December (1pm to 4pm), at The Pump on Thursday 2 January (12.30pm to 4pm) and at Erdington Library on Thursday 2 January (1pm to 4pm).
NORMAL HOURS WILL START AGAIN ON MONDAY 6 JANUARY 2014.
If you need careers advice during this holiday period, remember you can contact the National Careers Service which will be open except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

SEASON’S GREETINGS TO ALL OF YOU!

Open day @ The Pump - new courses for 16-18 year olds

On Tuesday 26 November 2013, there's an ADULT EDUCATION OPEN DAY at the Pump. Come along between 10am and 3pm and check out courses starting in January 2014.

The Pump is at 286 Kitts Green Road, B33 9SB. Find out more at thepump.org.uk or phone 0121 675 8381.

Having your say on Birmingham's sexual health services

Birmingham City Council would like your views on sexual health services. They are responsible for making sure that effective services are available for the people in Birmingham and would really value your thoughts on what works well and where they could make things better. They are carrying out a review at the moment and your comments will help them decide how to improve things. You do not need to have used sexual health services to do this.

The online consultation runs until 9 December, and you can find out more, and complete the online survey, at https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/adults-communities/sexual-health-consultation

Please note: the information you provide will be kept confidential and used only for the purposes of reviewing sexual health services.

New opportunity for young people to meet employers...

The Pump is at 286 Kitts Green Road, Kitts Green, B33 9SB

More details at thepump.org.uk

“what next?” events for young people aged 13-19 with a learning difficulty and/or disability - or their parent/carer

7 November 2013 at the Saffron Centre
13 November 2013 at the Drum

If you are a young person aged 13-19 with a learning difficulty and/or disability, or their parent/carer, this is your chance to find out about:

• colleges
• work related training
• careers advice
• independent living
• social worker services
• parent and family support

Drop in at either event between 1pm and 7pm. There will be a programme of workshops that you may like to attend. The workshops will start at 4.30pm and will last for about 20 minutes each. The workshops will cover:

• planning for transition
• social care
• family information

HOW TO FIND US:
The Saffron Centre, 256 Moseley Road, B12 0BS (just off Highgate Middleway; car parking is available, or get bus number 50 or X50 from Moor Street Queensway)
The Drum, 144 Potters Lane, Aston, B6 4UU (just off the A34 opposite Newtown swimming baths; car parking is available, or get buses 8A/8C inner circle, 33 or 51)

For further information, contact Keisha Campbell on 0121 675 6198 or email her keisha.campbell@birmingham.gov.uk

The what next? events have been organised by the Disabled Children’s Social Care Team and Connexions Birmingham.

SP1 South - for young people aged 16-18 who are not in full time education or employment

Improve your opportunities for employment and gain qualifications in English, Maths and ICT, gain a range of vocational skills, and learn and develop creative skills...

Courses start 4 November 2013, recruiting now and until 25 November 2013.


MAYPOLE YOUTH CENTRE
For more info contact Jadieal Millwood on jadieal.millwood@birmingham.gov.uk or 0121 464 6172

THE FACTORY
For more info contact Becky Crampton on becky.crampton@birmingham.gov.uk or 0121 464 8852

*This is means tested

Beyond 16 - new booklet and webpages launched

Beyond 16 is our guide to post-16 options — a booklet and set of webpages designed to help you make decisions about what to do when you finish Year 11. It tells you about education, Apprenticeships, jobs with training, the new 16-19 Study Programme, and loads more.

Your can visit the Beyond 16 webpages, or download a copy of the booklet from our Download our publications page.

Exam results days — A Levels and GCSEs

It's A Levels today, and GCSEs next Thursday. There’s useful info on our website about what to do next when you get your results, whether you’ve done better, worse, or just about spot-on compared to your predicted grades. There are separate sections for A Levels and GSCEs.

Jobs and Travel Fair: The Lighthouse, Wednesday 14 August 2013

16-19 years old and looking for work?
Need travel information or support for getting to interviews or a new job?
Need help finding a job or other opportunities?

Connexions Birmingham and WorkWise present a
JOBS AND TRAVEL FAIR
on Wednesday 14 August 2013, between 11am and 3pm at The Lighthouse (100 Alma Way, Aston, B19 2LN)

Free drinks and cake for all...
...free bus, rail and metro scratch card for the first 50 people attending

• EMPLOYMENT ADVICE AND INFORMATION from Connexions Birmingham Personal Advisers, training providers and others
• TRAVEL SUPPORT INFORMATION from WorkWise Travel Officers – you may be eligible for up to 8 weeks worth of FREE TRAVEL to start a new job, or DAY TICKETS to attend interviews, or CYCLING SUPPORT including a bike...

For more information, contact Shanara on 0121 214 7441

East Birmingham Youth Jobs Fair: 5 July 2013

EAST BIRMINGHAM
YOUTH JOBS FAIR
Friday 5 July 2013, 10am-3pm
Birmingham Metropolitan College: Matthew Boulton Campus (Jennens Road)
Supporting the youth of Erdington, Hodge Hill, Washwood Heath, Bordesley Green, Shard End, Aston, Nechells, Soho and Ladywood — but ALL 16-24 year olds are welcome

What’s on?

• Employers and trainers recruiting for job vacancies on the day
• Apprenticeships, work experience and voluntary work
• Turn your creative ideas into business, self employment or social enterprise
• National Careers Service advice and guidance, including CV help
• Job search help and support with Universal Jobmatch

Young Talent for Business is offering financial help and support through wage subsidies to employers so that they can open up apprenticeships and non-apprenticeship opportunities to young people. Find out more from www.birmingham.gov.uk/youngtalentforbusiness

Confirmed attendees include:

World of work — new information to help you plan your future

We have just completely rewritten and updated the World of work area of our website, designed to help you find out about the world of work and how labour market information, or LMI, can help you when planning for your future. It has 2 main parts: World of work explained where you can find out general world of work information and job trends in Birmingham, and World of work job sectors that give you information on each job sector including national and local labour market information. There’s also a new PDF download with all this information in a convenient booklet.

You told us what you thought about Connexions and our proposed changes...

Connexions Birmingham needs to change in 2013-14 and our aim is to provide a NEW SERVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN BIRMINGHAM that is LOCAL — meeting the needs of each area of the city.
WE ASKED YOU FOR YOUR VIEWS on our proposals, and we have now published a report on our website at Changes to Connexions Birmingham 2013/4: consultation report. This summarises what young people, parents, school/colleges and other stakeholders told us. Thanks to everyone who helped us by responding!

Continuing in learning: Raising the Participation Age

The Government is raising the age at which young people need to continue in education or training. It isn’t about raising the school leaving age and it doesn’t mean young people can’t get a job. It’s all about continuing in learning, and you have lots of choice about how to do this in a way that suits you best. Find out more from our new website area called RPA - Raising the Participation Age, which tells you more about whether RPA affects you, why it is happening, what your options are, and where you can find out more. There’s a new downloadable factsheet available there too.

Connexions Birmingham is moving...

BROAD STREET CONNEXIONS CENTRE CLOSED ON FRIDAY 1 MARCH 2013

The Connexions service continues to be available through our growing network of CONNEXIONS OUTREACH venues.
Check out the Contacting us / Staying in touch area of our website for Outreach details, or follow us on Twitter @CNXBham
PLEASE ALSO NOTE: we are moving our admin base, leaving the Broad Street offices after Friday 8 March 2013. We will get our phone lines and email up and running as quickly as possible. WE’RE SORRY BUT THERE WILL BE SOME UNAVOIDABLE DISRUPTION to our phone and email answering on Monday 11 March, and maybe for a day or two after that.

We want your views!

Connexions Birmingham needs to change in 2013-14. Our aim is to provide a NEW SERVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN BIRMINGHAM that is LOCAL — meeting the needs of each area of the city.
WE WANT YOUR VIEWS on our proposals — whether you are a young person, a parent or carer, or work in school, so please fill in our ONLINE QUESTIONNAIRE [sorry, link now removed] which will run until the end of March 2013. Thank you!

Three new Connexions Outreach venues!

Our West Team are opening three new Connexions Outreach venues, where young people who are working with us can get to meet with a Connexions PA. That’s now 22 Outreach venues in total, spread across Birmingham. The new venues are Oakland Young People’s Centre in Handsworth (starting on Tuesday 5 March 2013), Sport 4 Life in Ladywood (starting on Monday 4 March 2013) and Working Links in the city centre (starting Friday 15 March 2013). You can get all the contact details, phone numbers for booking appointments, interactive maps and more from our Contacting us webpage...

The Real Apprentice: Monday 25 March 2013

The Real Apprentice event is at the Holte Suite, Aston Villa FC, Trinity Road, Birmingham B6 6HE. It’s open between 3.30pm and 8pm on Monday 25 March 2013.
The Real Apprentice is a FREE showcase to find out more about Apprenticeships — it’s your chance to find out more, ask questions and meet the people with the answers.
Find out more at www.therealapprentice.org.uk or phone free on 08000 321 222.

Thinking about Higher Education?

We’ve just completely updated the Higher Education area of our website, which covers everything you need to know about Higher Education, from choosing courses to student life, making your application, cash facts and taking a year out. You’ll even find advice on what you can do after an HE course, so you can really plan ahead. Each section has lots of information and help, as well as links to all the essential HE websites you’ll need.

You can also get all this information as a single downloadable PDF “HE Guide”, available from our HE webpages.