'Being in care doesn't offer stability - I wanted to create my own' - Walsall care leaver overcomes challenges to land career working with young people
A teenager who spent time in care has overcome his own challenges in life to land a career working with young people in Walsall.
Emmanuel Boamah, aged 19, now works as a Youth Participation Apprentice for Walsall Council, as a result of a £5 million Youth Guarantee Trailblazer scheme led by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker.
The scheme aims to help hundreds of 18-21-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), by giving them paid work opportunities to develop skills for life.
Emmanuel spent three years in the care system from the age of 15 and now works at Walsall Council’s youth hub Our Place.
He is supported and coached by trained youth workers to develop his skills, while he helps other young people tackle challenges in their own lives.
Emmanuel, from Bloxwich, said: “Being in care doesn’t offer much stability so I wanted to create my own.
“The structure of learning in school wasn’t quite right for me and alongside working through some mental health challenges I didn’t know what I should do when I left.
“Being an apprentice offers me the stability I need. It builds on the strengths I have and gives me the opportunity to help others that might be in a similar position to what I was in.
“I know now what career direction I want to go in. I’m excited and looking forward to supporting others to overcome the challenges they face and get into their dream career.
“My advice to other young people is, it’s not about the things that go wrong in your life – it’s about what you do afterwards.
“And never waste a conversation, make links – you never know what opportunity might come up.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Together, we’re giving young people the skills and opportunities they need to get started in an exciting career and set themselves up for life.
“I want every young person to have the chance to reach their potential and enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career – that’s at the heart of my ‘Jobs for Everyone’ mission.
“Walsall is leading the way with this trailblazer programme. It’s by connecting young people like Emmanuel to local jobs and training opportunities in this way that we can change lives for the better.”
The West Midlands is one of eight national trailblazer areas, and the Mayor officially launched the scheme at Our Place, where Emmanuel is based.
Cllr Mark Statham, portfolio holder for Children’s, Education and Lifelong Learning at Walsall Council, said: “We’re very proud of Emmanuel and what he has achieved by his own merit.
“His apprenticeship will offer him so many opportunities to develop knowledge and skills that will stay with him for life, and he is also a shining role model and inspiration to many of the young people he will meet in the course of his work.
“This is a real-life example of why we welcome the trailblazer programme and the pathways it will open for hundreds of local 18–21-year-olds in Walsall.”
