YOUNG people who care for vulnerable relatives have been saluted after finishing a course to help them into work or training.

The charity MYTIME held an event to congratulate those who had completed its employability programme.

Krista Sharp, chief executive of the Poole-based charity, said: “Research shows that on average young carers miss 48 school days a year and perform nine grades lower than their peers at GCSE, with many ending up not in employment, education or training (NEET).

“The employability programme helps address these issues by providing young adult carers with high quality careers advice and the opportunity to understand the incredible skill set they develop through their caring roles.”

Those who completed the programme were congratulated during an event at Bournemouth’s Norfolk Hotel by the mayors of Bournemouth and Poole along with Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns.

Krista Sharp told the young carers: “I think about how hard you work and how you balance so many different things, so many responsibilities – keep your teachers happy, help at home, support your families. You’re incredible.”

She added: “I admire each and every one of you. Your courage, your ability to speak on behalf of yourself and on behalf of a group of young carers impresses me every day.”

Emma Fry, the charity's employability programme director, said: “I’ve worked with probably thousands of young people over the years in my career and I’ve never worked with such an impressive, amazing wonderful group of young people as you guys are.”

After carers Jemima Jennings and Owen Hurry told how the programme had helped them, Conor Burns told the group: “I just want to say thank you to all of your for sharing your inspirational stories.”

He pledged to have discussions at Westminster about support for young carers.

“You do it because you want to, you do it because you love but you do it mostly because there’s nobody else to do it,” he said.

“There’s clearly a gap in how we’re organising our society, how we’re organising our government, how we’re organising our help to local authorities because this shouldn’t be falling exclusively on your shoulders.”

The young carers celebrating were: Hardy Philpott, Jessica Kingston, Kelsey Wright, Kierney Frampton, Aral Tuzul, Bradley Miller, Courtney Cole, Faith Payne, Jemima Jennings, Lee Bush, Lily Childs, Owen Hurry, Cody Wootton, Danni Smith, Honey Holland-Coleman, Olivia Goldsack, Oscar Wathen, Paris Cooper and Siobhan Dolbear.