Care Leavers Independence · Workbook chapter 03 of 21

Employment & Work Skills

Explore education, work and volunteering and build confidence with applications.

Watch: Employment & Work Skills

A practical independent living skills lesson. Use the activities below to discuss and practise afterwards.

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Read the video transcript

Work and learning can take lots of forms. Think about your interests, what you enjoy, and the strengths you already have. Try one CV activity or practise an interview question.

Start here: three practical activities

These examples come from the Nexsteps Independent Living Skills Workbook. Choose an appropriate activity rather than treating this as a test.

  1. ACTIVITY 1Draft part of a CV

    Draft a CV section with two examples of experience.

  2. ACTIVITY 2Practise interview questions

    Answer interview questions with a trusted person.

  3. ACTIVITY 3Compare two work or learning routes

    Compare courses, jobs, volunteering or apprenticeships.

TRY SOMETHING INTERACTIVE

Make a choice. See what happens.

This is a fictional situation. Choose the response that feels most helpful and explore the feedback. It is not a test, and your choices are not recorded.

MORE WAYS TO LEARN

Three more real-life challenges

Choose the challenges that matter to you. Try them in a safe, supported way where needed. Ticking a box is only for your own use and is not stored.

EXTRA ACTIVITY 4

A day in a role

Find a job or volunteering role and list three tasks you might enjoy and one support you might need.

EXTRA ACTIVITY 5

My skills story

Describe a time you were helpful, reliable or creative, even outside paid employment.

EXTRA ACTIVITY 6

Try a mock enquiry

Draft a short message asking about a course, job or volunteering opportunity. Review it before sending.

For practitioners · optional demonstration

Talk through this activity with Dawn

Try an AI voice demonstration about this skill using made-up examples. This is a restricted adult or staff-supervised pilot, not an unsupervised service for young people. You do not need AI to complete the activities.

Learn about the Dawn AI pilot →

Review and save my own goal in My Nexsteps →

The voice guide does not save or mark this activity as completed. Do not enter personal case details.

My progress, my choices

Choose an activity and work at your own pace. When you try it, tick the box and reflect on what went well. There is no test to pass, and using support is an achievement too.

This activity is private to this browser page. Your answers are not sent to Nexsteps or saved. Do not include private personal details.

Create a Life Map mission

Make this part of your own journey

Choose an activity linked to a goal that matters to you. Try it with the support you prefer, reflect on what worked and add your achievement to your personal progress record.

Plan a goal and review progress → Explore My Life. My Future. My Way. →

Who is this for?

Young people aged 16–18 preparing for adulthood, including young people looked after or in supported accommodation. Key workers, personal advisers and other trusted adults can support each activity. Some activities also suit care-experienced young adults.

Learn · Try · Practise · Evidence · Review · Progress

Agree the young person’s goal, the support and any safety arrangements. Use fictional examples for sensitive topics and follow safeguarding procedures. Record only necessary evidence; never put private disclosures or identifying details into public website forms.

Want the full workbook?

The complete Nexsteps workbook includes guided worksheets, fictional scenarios and progress reviews for practitioners and young people.

Enquire about the workbook