About Us

Get Connected

Get Connected is a website primarily for young people aged 13-19 in Sheffield. Here young people will find important information to help them make choices about education, training, employment and other issues that may affect their life, such as health, relationships and the environment. This information complements and adds value to the careers education information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) young people receive from Personal Advisers in schools, colleges and other venues across the city.

Those working in the CEIAG and Youth Work fields will also find Get Connected useful, as we expand our range of downloadable resources and information for practitioners. The site is run by Sheffield Futures.

Sheffield Futures

Sheffield Futures is an independent charity helping young people and adults to achieve their full potential in learning, employment and life. We work extensively with young people and adults in Sheffield, providing support services and activities around education, employment, personal development and social inclusion. Sheffield Futures works closely with a wide range of partners across the city including voluntary sector and statutory agencies.

Publications

We produce several publications for young people, parents & carers and professionals. View our latest publications and download free PDF versions here.

Our Ethos

Sheffield Futures exists to serve and benefit young people and adults in Sheffield by:

• delivering services which help young people make a successful transition to adulthood

• enabling all clients, especially the vulnerable, to succeed in education, training and employment;

• using its charitable and limited company status to work in partnership with other organisations to increase the range and quality of service provision in the city; and

• developing centres of service excellence and innovation which may directly or indirectly benefit young people and adults in Sheffield

A commitment to young people in the city

Our work with young people, especially the vulnerable, supports them to achieve the five outcomes in Every Child Matters:

• To enjoy good physical and mental health and to live a healthy lifestyle.

• To grow up able to look after themselves and to be protected from harm and neglect.

• To get the most out of life and to develop the broad personal and social skills needed for a successful adulthood.

• To make a positive contribution to their community and not to engage in anti-social behaviour or offending.

• To overcome disadvantage and to make decisions, which will enable them to achieve their full potential and to become independent and self-sufficient individuals.

As a core provider of Integrated Youth Supoprt Services, we provide a range of activities for young people, including:

• The delivery of impartial information, advice and guidance in schools and community venues throughout the city

• The delivery of positive activities through running youth centres, conducting detached youth work and issue-based projects

• Targeted support to help individuals in greatest need. Specialist programmes and interventions are provided to support vulnerable young people to overcome barriers and gain new skills and experiences. These targeted groups include young people with learning difficulties or disabilities, those involved in the criminal justice system, young carers, looked after children, refugees and asylum seekers.

Help and support for adults in Sheffield

Sheffield Futures also offers a range of careers information, advice and guidance for adults in the city.

We help and support people in:

• Returning to work

• Looking at their skills and interests

• Job hunting

• CV writing and job applications

• Preparation for job interviews

• Improving qualifications

• Redundancy and/or career change

• Identifying and accessing funding for study and open learning

• Self-employment

We also offer employability training and support to ex-substance users and incapacity benefit recipients on behalf of Jobcentre Plus through the Starting Over/Progress to Work project, as well as regular drop-in sessions at Star House in Sheffield City Centre.