Connexions Salford
Connexions is a statutory service working with schools, colleges and other organisations to provide information, advice and support to all young people between the ages of 13 and 19. Connexions is available up to the age of 25 for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities. The Connexions Services in Manchester, Salford and Tameside are delivered by Better Choices. Its aims are:
- To help young people make the right choices for a successful transition into adult life
- To identify those young people who may need additional help to overcome personal difficulties and obstacles to learning and progression
- To reduce the number of 16-18 year olds who are not in education, training or employment (NEET)
Connexions tries to ensure that specialist agencies work effectively together to support young people. Its staff work closely with:
- Educational establishments
- Work based learning providers and employers
- Local authority services, such as Youth Services, Social Services, Education Welfare Services
- JobCentre Plus
- Youth Offending Teams
- Counselling Services
- Housing
- Benefits Agency
- Voluntary agencies
Connexions can provide information and advice on:
- Careers
- Education and training - routes and courses
- Housing
- Relationships
- Health
- Substance misuse and addiction
- Money
- Leisure and personal development opportunities
- Young people’s rights
Connexions works closely with partner agencies:
- All schools offer careers education as part of their personal development curriculum in line with the national framework for careers education years 7 to 11. Careers education in schools is supported by Development Managers for Better Choices/Connexions who provide briefing, training and customised on-site consultancy sessions for individual schools, colleges and learning providers; whilst offering Connexions-orientated training provision to a range of patner agencies.
- All schools have a careers/Connexions library which students can use; these include paper based information and careers/educational guidance software - Better Choices/Connexions contributes to the purchase of up to date materials each year.
- Better Choices/Connexions undertakes induction courses for new careers co-ordinators, a Diploma in Careers Education (accredited by Nottingham Trent University) and numerous other careers/personal development curriculum related courses.
- Better Choices has developed an LMI website and resource materials "Work Matters"that contains labour market information and student/tutor group resource materials local to Salford and Greater Manchester www.wmgm.co.uk; designed to give students and tutors greater awareness of local and Greater Manchester-wide employment trends.
- Connexions Personal Advisers are attached to all Salford schools, the Inclusion Service and colleges. Personal Advisers work with students from 13 to 19 (25 if the young person has learning needs and or disabilities) one to one, and in groups. They offer individual guidance on career, educational, volunteering and leisure options, as well as helping young people to overcome barriers to progression; working extensively with young people who are poor attenders.
- PAs also link with careers, PSHE and tutorial programmes and network with a wide range of staff and agencies; and attend parents and carers' evenining at important student transition times in Key Stages 3 and 4.
- The Connexions Service provides information on post 16 choices for all students and produces "cnx2 your future" which is issued by students during the summer year of Year 10.
- Better Choices Ltd/Connexions Salford offers a fast-track job service for young jobseekers through cnx2jobs which allows young people to search for suitable vacancies throughout the Greater Manchester area.
- Every year the Connexions service collects details information about what happens to young people once they leave school. They follow up young people at regular intervals. The service publishes the information in an annual document "Moving On".
Contacts
Connexions Salford
Salford Opportunities Centre
2 Paddington Close
off Churchill Way
Salford
M6 5PL
Telephone: 0161 743 0163
Fax: 0161 745 9427
Connexions Salford
15 Southway
Eccles
Manchester
M30 OLJ
Telephone: 0161 788 7057
Fax: 0161 788 9805
Connexions Salford
Unit 3, Old Co-op Buildings
High Street
Walkden
Worsley
M28 3JH
Telephone: 0161 975 7460
Fax: 0161 975 7469
Salford Connexions Manager
Annette Hughes
Telephone: 0161 245 4878
Email: annette.hughes@connexions-salford.com
For information on “Moving On”
Jill Brown, Information Manager
Telephone: 0161 245 4770
Email: jill.brown@betterchoices.co.uk
For information on training and development contact Julie Hicklin, Gareth Nixon or Paul Sheppard on 0161 245 4807 or email: gareth.nixon@betterchoices.co.uk.
For enquiries about specific courses contact:
Gareth Nixon
Telephone: 0161 245 4871
Email: gareth.nixon@betterchoices.co.uk
Websites:
This page was last updated on 23 December 2011
