12:50pm Tuesday 27th October 2009
By Craig Manning
YOUNG people from Wirral with learning difficulties and disabilities have attended an event designed to help them plan for their futures.
'Your Future Your Choice' gave young people leaving school, parents and carers the advice they needed to plan their next steps into further education, training and employment.
A range of local training providers, employers and organisations specialising in support for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities were on hand during the event, at Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight.
It was organised by a partnership consisting of Wirral's children's and young people’s department, the department of adult services, Wirral NHS Primary Care Trust, Connexions, the Learning and Skills Council and Carers Support Groups.
Peter Burgess, team manager for Wirral's Transition Services said it was crucial that young people with learning difficulties and disabilities were aware of the many opportunities available to them.
He added: "There are many opportunities available to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities and 'Your Future Your Choice' aimed to bring all that information together under one roof so young people, carers and parents can make the right choices".
Young people with learning difficulties and disabilities are twice as likely to drop out of education or become unemployed after school.
Peter Burgess continued: "In Wirral a lot of work is being undertaken to reduce the relatively high number of young people who leave school at 16 and then do not engage in any planned progression route, employment or training.
"We are seeing improvements but the improvements are not being matched among those with special educational needs, learning difficulties or other disabilities.
"This event is an opportunity to positively change that for our young people and offer hope and expectation to families for the future."
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