World of work for young people

World of Work
The Who Cares? Trust

Star rating: 3/5

I was impressed when I first used this CD-ROM. It gives a variety of advice, information and access to on-line resources for young people looking for employment or developing life-skills. It is easy to download and has a fun, easy to navigate format. There are useful weblinks to sites including: Aimhigher, Community Service Volunteers, Connexions and the Commission for Racial Equality. The CD also has a range of pro-formas for writing a CV or application letter, and a questionnaire to assess areas of work that might specifically suit the young person. It features video-clips of young people and employers giving advice and tips. There is also a section for professionals working with young people, containing pro-formas, tips and advice.

Impressed as I was, I decided to ask the advice of a Connexions worker to get their perspective on the usefulness and relevance of this resource. She suggested the CD-ROM could be a useful resource for quite specific service users. She showed me the Connexions website that already has all the resources included on the CD-ROM, and more, and can be accessed without cost.

However, she suggested the CD-ROM could be useful in certain settings such as life-skills work, or an educational project where there is a focus particularly on employment issues.

Philippa Hulley is a 16+ social worker at Solihull Council’s education and children’s services

This review is published in the 31 July issue of Community Care magazine