The government has outlined plans to guarantee apprenticeship placements for "suitably qualified" care leavers by September.
The plans were outlined in its social mobility white paper, New Opportunities, but offer little detail about the qualifications needed to take up a place.
The government also concedes there will be no legal requirement to offer places until 2013, when all young people will also be offered the same guarantee.
In addition to the apprenticeship scheme for care leavers the government is piloting employment support schemes for care leavers in nine council areas over the next financial year. It hopes to see this improved support offered to half of England's councils by 2011 as part of roll out managed by the National Care Advisory Service.
The Fostering Network's chief executive Robert Tapsfield fears these latest plans for care leavers could fall flat unless the government also brings in a guarantee for care beyond 18.
"Providing them with a stable and supportive home while they are still in education or training is vital to improving their chances of getting a job and being economically independent, he said. "Continuing to kick young people out of foster care at or before 18 will make it very difficult for them to take on, and finish, an apprenticeship."
John Simmonds, policy director at the British Association for Adoption and Fostering, said: "I want to see more detail about what suitably qualified means. I hope it isn't something rigid like five GCSEs and that there is a degree of flexibility in the way being qualified is measured."
