The Bridge - my life

Your Choices at 16+
Leaving school and choosing a career is an important time for young people. These sites provide lots of careers information to help you make a choice about the career you might like and other options you might have at 16 like going to College or University.

Gap Year - aimed at those who want to take a year out between leaving school and starting work, College or University 

Aim Higher - aimed at those who want to go to University or College

After 16 - What's New? - aimed at anyone with a disability

A refugee? Click on the links opposite to find out what is available to help you learn.

Childcare Support Fund | College Access Fund

Student Support and Student Loans
These two links tell you what is available if you want to go to College or University either full or part time. Student Support

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fredsmith@bbc.co.uk

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Modern Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships are available in over 80 different sectors of industry and commerce. The Connexions Service will help you to make a choice if this is what you want to do. Modern Apprenticeships

City of Sunderland College
The College has lots of courses for young people and many learning centre's throughout the City. City of Sunderland College

University of Sunderland
You might think University is not for you but the range of flexible, part and full time courses they offer means they can often offer places on courses without prior qualifications. A great site well worth checking out. University of Sunderland

National Minimum Wage
Advice on your rights and entitlements to the National Minimum Wage. National Minimum Wage

Benefits
This excellent site from the DSS tells you all about your benefit entitlements. DSS

Community Champions
This site has been set up to help you if you want to become active in your community or help others become active. Community Champions

National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)
This website is designed to give you a background to NVQs- why they exist and how they can help young people .National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs)

Qualifications Website
Information for parents, teachers, pupils, lecturers, students, employers and anyone with an interest in qualifications. Qualifications website

Childcare
This link takes you to a site that explains paying for childcare in case you cannot access or your not eligible for free childcare. 

This link takes you to a Children's Information Service - this will help you find childcare in Sunderland. The Children's Information Service is also useful to suggest alternatives if none of the places below are useful to you.

Job Linkage
Job Linkage seeks to link local people to local jobs by customising information, guidance, training and other support to the needs of residents of targeted areas of the City. Job Linkage

Basic Skills Agency
Reading, writing and Maths are sometimes called basic skills. This site helps you find a local course. If you ring the following number 0800 700 987 they will advise you on what is available locally. The site also lets you test your reading, writing and maths skills. Basic Skills Agency

Get On and Read Write Plus
These Government sites are aimed at organisations that provide reading, writing and maths courses. Get On | Read Write Plus

Business Link Tyne and Wear
Based up in Hylton Business Park Business Link are the Governments main source of advice and help for anyone thinking of starting a business. Well worth checking out the huge range of financial and other help and advice Business Link can provide. Business Link Tyne and Wear

Social Enterprise Sunderland
Social Enterprise Sunderland (formerly SCOERC) is a resource centre for the benefit of individuals and groups in the City of Sunderland. It's activities include giving advice and assistance to set up co-operatives or other forms of business. This includes providing training locally for anyone who needs help to develop their business. Social Enterprise Sunderland

Job Centre Plus
Job Centre Plus is an easy to use site that can search for local jobs and also contains a lot more information on job search skills, interview techniques, CV writing and information on job training and benefits for those out of work. Job Centre Plus

Jobs with the Council
This link lists jobs with the City Council. Council Jobs

Evening Chronicle and Journal
Job adverts appear in Thursday's edition of the Journal and Evening Chronicle. The same selection of jobs normally appear in both papers. Both are available on the Internet at this link. Evening Chronicle

Job Clubs
Many local organisations have Job Clubs. Job Clubs normally provide free help and advice for those looking for work. This includes job vacancy information, access to newspapers and the internet, advice on job seeking skills like CV writing and job clubs often pay postage for posting job applications.

Internet based Jobs and Career Sites
Monster, Handbag and Fish4Jobs all have careers questionnaires you can complete to give you more advice on what careers you could follow plus lots of careers information on different types of careers. Handbag is particularly aimed at young women.

Monster, Handbag Fish4Jobs

Army, Navy and Air Force Careers
These are the careers sites for the Army, Navy and Air force.

RAF careers | Army careers | Navy Careers

Worktrain
Worktrain is a National government site that is straightforward to use, can be searched for local jobs and also contains  information on job search skills, interview techniques, CV writing and information on job training and benefits for those out of work.

Worktrain

Volunteering
Volunteering can be a good way to get experience that may help you get the career you want. The Millennium Volunteers site is for you to find out about volunteering with Millennium Volunteers. Millennium Volunteers