Talentino Early Career Development Enterprising ways for Working Experience for young people with disabilities Helen Joy Joy of Joys www.talentinocareers.co.uk

Introduction to the session – working together to: Which young people are we talking about? What do we mean by working experience? Why is working experience critical for these young people? Enterprising ways to secure working experience Our ideas Our schools’ ideas Your ideas

Who is Talentino? Who is Talentino? Talentino was created by senior people from business to improve outcomes for young people through raising the quality of careers learning in all types of schools, based in Reading and working across England. It is award winning and has won places on the following Social Enterprise programmes: The Young Foundation ,Unltd Big Venture Challenge, Big Issue and Ernst and Young Quality Talentino has the following quality awards by assessment: The Matrix (2012 and 2016) The CDI Quality assured award for the Talentino Career Development Coaching Programme The EMCC accreditation for the Foundation Practitioner level coaching programme Campaigns Talentino campaigns nationally for better early career development for young people with learning difficulties including in 2016: Invited to the All Party Parliamentary Group Education at their Careers meeting Invited to the new Ministers’ roundtable on the new National Careers Strategy Published a paper #sameandifferent in two journals and submitted to Government Annual SEN Schools Careers conference for our clients

Which young people with disabilities / in Special Schools are we talking about? Young people with cognitive learning difficulties in Special Schools from moderate to profound and multiple learning difficulties and may / may not have physical disabilities Young people with physical difficulties who do not have cognitive learning difficulties Young people who are ‘looked after’ in care Young people in Special Schools with social, emotional, behavioural challenges Young people in SEN provision in mainstream schools It is important to understand how the disability is viewed by the employment marketplace and their readiness to accept a diverse workforce

What do we mean by working experience? Traditional - External work experience for a week or two in June for Year 10 mainstream funded by the Government Now – very patchy, ‘Cold spot’ analysis, funded by schools or parents Yet, it is viewed as essential by employers that young people have early work experience London Careers Ambition committed to 100 hours for every young person by the time they leave school Together we will look at optimising working experience for young people with Special needs

Why is working experience critical for these young people? ‘Proving’ to employers they are employable Often competing with few / no academic qualifications and everything starts with a ‘C’ minimum in Maths and English Some young people with learning difficulties will never achieve this Employers always say that attitude and the soft skills ( intrinsic) skills needed for work are the most important to them in many jobs Working experience is an ideal way to demonstrate these skills and secure references to evidence this Proven that the more interactions with employers that take place reduce or negate the possibility of a young person becoming NEET

Enterprising ways to secure working experience Our ideas, Our schools’ ideas, Your ideas Case study – Brookfields Special School In 2012 Brookfields had 2 students out on work experience and no employer relationships, paid for this service In 2016, employers network of 55 local employers including big nationals and small local employers with every KS4 and post 16 student who can access external or internal working experience – average 80 per year. All done in house! Not always easy - Sainsburys How did they do it? Worked with Talentino to have more business like conversations with employers Lots preparation with employers Lots pre work with students who followed a career coaching curriculum prior to work experience Graduated and multiple working experiences now called work placements Firstly about getting good work disciplines, then orientated to their career interest, reinforced Celebrated and rewarded employers which incentivised them further Whole school behind it and saw the value Curriculum changed to focus on post school outcomes Goal – Improve the possibility and probability of paid work’

Brookfields film – Pathway to Employment

Share ideas in groups and come back Which group of young people do you work with? Why is working experience critical for these young people? How can you help secure these opportunities? Internally or externally

For more information contact: helen@talentinocareers.co.uk www.talentinocareers.co.uk