Building Career Pathways – Uncovering untapped potential

Within the introduction to this podcast episode, Shardonnay highlights how she currently has three jobs challenging the assumption of what many people will think people with additional needs can achieve. She is fortunate in that she has had the opportunity and support to experience different employment environments, but she is just one of the many young people who have aspirations to work but not the opportunity to do so. This has to change.

With the Charity’s increasing commitment to ensuring that young people with additional needs get the employment opportunities they deserve, in June 2023, it commenced its first Internship programme for a young person with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities. This is a 12 month placement, paid at the London Living Wage and after an open recruitment process, we appointed Shardonnay into the role. It is fair to say that Shardonnay has had an enormous, positive impact on the team, and we have been proud to see her confidence and abilities grow.

As this first year comes to an end, there are many reflections, many of which are echoed in the podcast. It requires time, commitment, and planning. When the Charity embarked on the internship process, everyone was aware that this would likely be a steep learning process. We knew there would be a lot that we didn’t know. Equally, we also know that this is just one experience, and the next could likely be very different. Regardless of need, no two people are the same, nor should they be treated as such. The podcast echoes many of the Charity’s own experiences in this first year:

• It is hard to plan and prepare. Whilst there was a job description in place prior to recruitment, even after a candidate appointed, it was still difficult to do some of the ‘usual’ new joiner planning. It is only once you have a very clear understanding of that individual and how their specific needs impact on their learning and their abilities, can you fully understand how the job function will be undertaken and how you can best support this.

• Having a supportive agency behind the Intern is valuable. Pursuing Independent Paths (PiP), an organisation well-known to the Charity, supported Shardonnay with the recruitment process. They provided valuable interview coaching and helped her in her first few weeks; getting used to the commute, settling in the office and getting to grips with her role. Fair Shot who feature in the podcast work alongside Mencap to ensure that this support is in place for their young people too.

• Good communication is vital. All parties involved need to be willing listen and learn. Shardonnay, with support from PiP had a helpful ‘introductory’ one-pager which ahead of her arrival explained what she likes, things we should be aware of and how she interacts with others. Young people should be encouraged to confidently communicate their needs, as it is the only way that an employer can make itself more inclusive.

• The team must be willing to adapt, just as much as the Intern. It is vital that the whole organisation is on board and informed about the internship and the young person who is appointed. It was a learning process for everyone, but one in which everyone was willing to engage, which has helped make it a relatively smooth journey.

• It takes time. It takes time for everyone involved to adjust to a different approach and you have to be willing to repeat tasks. The need for patience from everyone is vital and this is why it is important to ensure that an internship is a suitable length. We opted for 12 months, Fair Shot’s programme is similar, given that it can take young people with additional needs longer to adjust and learn, anything shorter didn’t feel like it would offer proper value.

• There is a balance to be struck. One thing I have been mindful of is not assuming what Shardonnay can or cannot do. We should not let any young person be defined by disability and instead should be supporting them to learn new skills and build their career pathways.

• External communication is also key. It’s important to create an environment where an Intern feels comfortable and supported. As a team we can create that, but the role involves a lot of external contact too. So, we added a line on Shardonnay’s email’s explaining her role so that external people are more understanding and patient if she makes mistakes.

• The Charity is still navigating the balance between the ‘business needs’ and the intern’s capacity. The Charity always knew that it was unlikely that any candidate would be able to entirely fulfil the remit of the job description. Whilst we now understand how this is impacting the Charity, we’re still exploring how we manage it. But as John at Community Focus highlights, there is funding available to help organisations meet some of these gaps.

• Inclusive in the whole. It is important to make sure that any intern has the same experience as anyone else at the Charity. Part of our role is to give Shardonnay an experience of what the working world can look like. This means that we have included Shardonnay in our team training sessions, involved her in meetings, carried out an appraisal and invited her to socials, just as we would any other employee. It shouldn’t be tokenistic, just because it is an internship, doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be included.

Employers should be bold and brave. As the podcast highlights, there will be many stumbling blocks along the way. Young people with additional needs have no choice but to get up and carry on. As employers we should be willing to climb the mountain too, even if there are obstacles to overcome. As funders, we should encourage organisations to take that leap, and financially support them to do so. And as supporters we should be amplifying the voices of those young people who simply want the opportunity to demonstrate what they can achieve. In the words of Shardonnay, give more young people a chance, you’ll be surprised at what they can do. We certainly were.