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Businesses invited to help Gateshead pupils with special educational needs gain workplace skills

North East businesses are invited to take part in a games tournament, designed to help Gateshead pupils with special educational needs gain the skills they’ll need in the workplace.

Hill Top School in Gateshead has been working with Corrina Mulholland and Stephanie Smith from Gateshead Community Organisation to devise ways for its sixth form students to learn about careers and develop skills needed in the workplace.

Corrina and Stephanie have been partnered with the school through the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP)’s Enterprise Adviser network, which pairs business leaders with local schools to help improve careers education for young people.

“Pupils who have special educational needs don’t always get the opportunity to do a work placement, so we came up with the idea of a games tournament, which the students are organising, as a way for them to meet local businesses, gain confidence and learn new skills,” explained Corrina.

In advance of the event, pupils have taken the lead in organising the day, forming a board of directors, with responsibility for finance, marketing and catering.

On the day, the pupils will gain experience of serving food, welcoming guests and running the event, as teams compete in games of chess, draughts and dominoes.

“We’d love it if local businesses took part in the tournament, as individuals or as team,” said Corrina. “The event will help the school to build links with local businesses, and it’s an opportunity to make a real difference to Hill Top School’s sixth form pupils, as they prepare to move on from the school.”

Gateshead Games Galore takes place from 10am on Tuesday 20 June at Callendar Court extra care housing scheme near Wrekenton.

Businesses can register for a place at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gateshead-games-galore-tickets-644395834287 or by emailing [email protected].

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Helping each and every young person into the North East workforce

Our ambition here at the North East LEP is to help young people in the region prepare for the world of work. And that means each and every young person. All the work we do with schools, colleges and employers is focused on meeting the needs of each and every young person, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

It’s a startling statistic that just 6% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment* and yet more than 65% of people with a learning disability want to and are able to work**.

How do we start to turn this around and ensure that all young people in the North East have the opportunity to experience the world of work, receive high quality careers guidance and have clear routes into employment?

How can we make sure businesses are able to access the widest pool of talent possible and reflect the communities they serve? And how can businesses make sure they’re not overlooking potential employees who can bring real benefits to an organisation?

We’ve formed a working group made up of businesses, careers leads from schools (both SEND specialist schools and those with a SEND provision) and representatives from the third sector. We’re also working closely with the Leonard Cheshire Foundation and host their North East presence, working together to support young people to develop their careers.

The working group aims to uncover and tackle the challenges faced by the SEND sector when it comes to transitioning from education to work. We are also sharing examples of best practice with employers and offering guidance for schools and businesses on how to best support young people with SEND to successfully enter employment.

Nationally, one great example of best practice is the National Grid. Their focus is on building a workforce that meets the needs of the business and that also helps to create a fairer and more inclusive society where everyone can reach their full potential. Their EmployAbility programme which provides supported internships for young people with SEND has seen fantastic results – 60% of interns have gone into paid employment, compared with a national average of only 6%, and they have a 100% retention rate for intern recruits.

Every business can benefit from better engaging with young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Young people have a valuable contribution to make to our workplaces and businesses like the National Grid have seen wider benefits across their entire workforce such as a boost to overall performance and morale, and increased coaching opportunities. 95% of the employee volunteers for National Grid’s EmployAbility scheme said they felt more positive about the company.

If you’d like to find out more I’d encourage you to register for our free event on 15 May at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead when we’ll be hearing from the National Grid and the Careers and Enterprise Company who will be sharing more detail about their successful model. You can book a free ticket via Eventbrite.

We’re also looking for more businesses to join our working group. Whether you’re already successfully working with young people with SEND or you would like to help champion the right of each and every young person in our region to access the world of work, we’d love to hear from you.

Michelle Rainbow, North East LEP Skills Director.

*Source: Mencap

**Source: HM Government, Valuing Employment Now