A young man sits nervously outside the interview room, waiting to be called in. In many ways, he is the perfect candidate for the job: he is very organised, gets on well with his colleagues, and always arrives on time.
But this young man also has a learning disability. He knows that interviews are not his strong point and that this could count against him.
The above example is representative of the experiences of many young people with special educational needs and disabilities as they try to find work.
Data from Mencap reveals that just 6 per cent of people with a disability are in employment in Scotland, despite around 75 per cent wanting to work. This statistic really brings home the need for us to make a difference here.
There can be numerous barriers to meaningful employment for young people with a learning disability or autism.
At West Lothian College, we have always sought to provide all students with not just an education but the means to progress their learning into employment and the pathway towards a fulfilling life.
That’s why, in 2016, we decided to do more in this area with our students who have autism and/or learning disabilities. Working together with West Lothian Council, we set about investigating ways in which we could help to make a difference.
As part of the exploratory process, the council attended a presentation from charity DFN Project SEARCH, an international employment programme that supports young people with learning disabilities and/or autism into full-time employment paying at least the living wage.
It does this by using an evidence-based programme that is personalised for each participant, to offer professional guidance (from supported employment providers, colleges and a host employer) to help them work towards securing a full-time job. At least 66 per cent of young people who undertake the international programme go on into “real-world” jobs.
Given this focus on learners and the achievement rate, the college agreed that a partnership with the charity represented the best chance for us to make a real difference within our community.
In 2016, with support from DFN Project SEARCH, we started working with a local electronics firm as the host employer. They provided the internships that students required to learn in the workplace.
However, since 2018, we have been working in partnership with NHS Lothian, who offer supported work experience or internships to students on the programme across a range of services within St John’s Hospital in Livingston.
So, how exactly do these placements work? Students work from 9am to 4pm in real, frontline roles. They are required to undertake three department rotations during the nine-month programme, ranging from administrative to service roles, which adds up to 800 hours of experience.
Their day includes two hours of teaching, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This is delivered on site. The lessons focus on relevant employability skills (delivered under qualifications from the Scottish Qualifications Authority) in areas including health and safety, conflict management, team working and customer care.
These sessions are delivered by two college lecturers. One is a full-time member of staff who also works with other groups in college, while the other is part-time and solely delivers the lessons contained in this employability course.
Combining real-life work experience with classroom-based learning means that students are gaining the transferable skills that they need for employment, allowing them the best possible chance of securing a job after finishing the course.
This level of work and real-world engagement in employment is exciting for students and their families, but they also have a lot of questions about how the process works, as it is very different from all the other college courses they might have followed.
DFN Project SEARCH helped with a lot of these questions based on their past experiences. But over time, the college has learnt so much from working with each year group that we are now able to answer these questions ourselves.
We work hard to make it clear to students and to parents that the course is intensive; students will be working five days a week, as well as engaging in education. They are supported throughout this process.
Regular dialogue with all parties involved has built trust between the organisations and ensures there has been adequate staff development and training.
There is daily contact between ourselves, the council, the employer and the on-site job coach. Communication is all encompassing, with regular strategic meetings taking place between ourselves and the employers, alongside operational meetings regarding the structure of the course and student progress.
This is done in order to keep a close oversight of how students are doing, support workplace mentors and plan students’ skills progression. This support mechanism is in place throughout the course and is crucial when addressing the progress of students, maximising their potential for success.
And success is very much the outcome. The vast majority of students who have engaged with the programme since its launch have gone on to take up permanent positions in a variety of roles. From kitchen assistants and hospital porters to retail assistants and a Modern Apprentice baker: the DFN Project SEARCH footprint is evident across West Lothian and further afield.
I have personally seen the difference that taking part in the programme has made for so many students and each passing year serves as an incredible reminder as to why we have implemented this course, with intake after intake flourishing.
The success of the programme is down to a number of important factors including, of course, the students’ hard work and focus, but also the critical teamwork and communication between the delivery partners.
DFN Project SEARCH shows the impact that meaningful education can have on a young person; our role is to work together to help them reach their goals and aspirations. It requires effort to do something different.
The radical transformation that everyone involved with the courses has witnessed provides huge job satisfaction. Our success rate speaks for itself, too: last year, 80 per cent of students completed their award and went on to secure employment.
Putting in the work to do something different is vital if we want to help more young people with autism and/or learning difficulties into work. Educators have a key role in making this happen and our success shows that it can be done.
Margaret Forisky is centre head for assisted learning at West Lothian College
This article originally appeared in the 21 August 2020 issue under the headline “Putting students with disabilities on the path to a fulfilling career”
