How an internship for young people with learning disabilities can help build skills and independence

MOST workplaces claim to be inclusive – but how many offer opportunities for the most vulnerable in society?

Next week is National Inclusion Week and a number of firms have launched internships to support young people with learning disabilities or difficulties.

BackGrid

Mary Woodall studied with Premier Inn’s Thrive programme ten years ago, at Derwen College in Shropshire[/caption]

Currently, fewer than five per cent of young people with learning problems go on to secure paid employment once their education finishes, compared to 80 per cent of their peers.

To combat this, the innovative internships offer tuition and help in industries including hospitality and retail, allowing students to gain vital skills, find jobs and live more independently.

Hospitality company Whitbread’s already well- established Thrive scheme helps young learners with special educational needs train for industry roles, through work experience.

Now the firm is expanding the scheme to get 100 supported young interns into paid employment each year.

This will see Premier Inn team up with Lincolnshire County Council and The Liverpool City Region to offer training through local colleges.

Students will study all areas of hospitality and, through work experience under the guidance of job coaches, aim to move on to paid employment placements with Premier Inn.

Skills they will learn include guest relations and housekeeping — which also supports the students to live independent lives.

Simon Ewins, Premier Inn MD, says: “Our hotel teams are absolutely raring to welcome the new learners on to sites across the North West and Lincolnshire.”

Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell OBE, executive member for children’s services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We want to help all local children get a good start in life.

“This new partnership will provide our learners with valuable work experience and provide a route into employment, helping them develop their independence.

“We look forward to seeing the real difference it will make to our learners’ lives.”

The scheme is open to young people with an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and, to date, all of the learners who wanted a Premier Inn job were offered permanent roles with the hotel chain.

You can find out more at whitbread.co.uk/sustainability/opportunity/thrive-programme.

Another firm stepping up is Asda.

The supermarket giant is expanding its successful Supported Internship Programme to offer year-long work experience placements to more than 70 students with learning disabilities or difficulties.

Inspiring example

Working with the charity DFN Project Search, 11 stores will take part in the programme.

Trainees will wear bespoke uniforms, including T-shirts and fleeces carrying the message: “Happy to help — please bear with me, I’m learning.”

Hayley Tatum, Asda’s Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer, says: “We’re delighted to promote more accessible pathways into paid employment within retail.

“We’re continuing to improve our support to young people and ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and experience which they need to gain future employment.”

Carmel McKeogh, Interim Chief Executive of DFN Project Search, adds: “Asda is not only changing the lives of more young people, it is also setting an inspiring example for other businesses and positively impacting the local communities they serve.”

WFH COUNT RISES

AMAZON has ordered staff back to the office full-time but research from career networking app LinkedIn shows hybrid working is on the rise.

While seven in ten firms require employees to be on site for at least some of the week, 38 per cent of UK job postings are listed as hybrid and ten per cent fully remote.

While the study revealed a six per cent drop in hiring for fully remote roles, small firms showed a 2.3 per cent increase.

Janine Chamberlin, UK Country Manager at LinkedIn, said: “It’s important to balance the benefits of in-person working with flexibility.

“There’s not a one-size-fits-all. Certain projects lend themselves to in-person collaboration, while others require isolated thinking.”

SUNSHINE CALLS

AS the nights draw in, three in five workers are dreaming of working overseas.

While the primary motivation is quality of life, a third want better weather while 54 per cent claim they would be paid more in a new country.

Getty

Three in five workers are dreaming of working overseas[/caption]

But the report from jobs platform Indeed found 47 per cent of workers say their company does not allow overseas work, while 42 per cent claim they firm has no policy on the matter.

Indeed’s Pawel Adrjan said: “As borders become less relevant for workers, businesses and states must offer not only competitive salaries but also attractive living conditions, healthcare and education, and political and economic stability.”

YOU CAN BOSS IT AT WORK

FOUR in five people promoted to management have no formal training – but staff with bad bosses are twice as likely to quit their jobs.

If you have become an “accidental manager”, how can you improve your skill set?

CMI

Anthony Painter, director of policy at the Chartered Management Institute, shares his managerial tips[/caption]

Today is World Manager Day, so here Anthony Painter, director of policy at the Chartered Management Institute, shares his tips . . . 

• Commit to your personal growth. Investing in this is key to leadership. Enhance your skills, gain knowledge and build confidence.
• Guide instead of micro-managing. The latter can be one of the most detrimental habits a manager adopts. Shifting away from this, to empowering your team, starts with delegating responsibility effectively.
• Surround yourself with people who excel where you do not. Hire diverse people. It is human instinct to hire those who mirror ourselves, but diversity in skills and perspectives leads to stronger outcomes.
• Prioritise results, not hours in the office. Flexible working is not just a perk employees desire, it is smart business strategy. Our research demonstrates that flexible and hybrid working arrangements boost work-life balance and productivity.
• Address toxic behaviour. Tolerating it will erode trust and undermine your organisation’s culture. By taking swift action, you send a clear message that your organisation’s values aren’t just lip service.
• Seek feedback. This is key to fostering a culture of learning and growth. By asking for it, you build trust and gain insights into your own blindspots.