New awards for pupils with learning difficulties

Young people in Wales with learning difficulties are being given the opportunity to achieve nationally accredited vocational awards that will help them to secure employment after leaving school or college thanks to a new programme

The ‘Moving on up’ programme has been developed to gives pupils that would not normally be able to achieve mainstream qualifications the chance to gain a standard accredited by Education and Development International (EDI).

Intended to help students with learning difficulties such as autism demonstrate to future employers the skills they possess, the awards are designed to run alongside relevant and tailored work experience placements.

Developed by Welsh training organisation Primus Training and Consultancy, in conjunction with Woodlands Special Needs School, a secondary school in Cardiff for pupils with moderate to severe learning difficulties, the idea for the awards came after the school realised that while many of their pupils had the potential to be valuable employees, they would not be able to achieve GCSEs in Mathematics and English, a standard requirement of many employers.

Lisa Purcell, careers teacher at Woodlands High School, said: “We were introduced to Primus through a local ‘sponsor a school’ initiative and after a couple of meetings we started talking about the talent and ability of our students and the lack of relevant qualifications that they could access to achieve success in life. With Primus’s background in training, we decided as a team to create vocational awards that would help our students to get a job in the future.”

The awards, which cover office skills, IT, basic work skills, basic café and restaurant skills, garden and park skills and customer care, are split into separate units that need to be completed independently by the learner in order to achieve the award. Pupils are assessed by a series of performance criteria otherwise known as ‘I can…’ statements that need to be backed up by knowledge evidence.

Two pupils that are already benefitting from the new programme are Stacey Brangham and Kevin Martin, both pupils at Woodlands Special Needs School. Stacey, 17, from Ely, is working on Introduction to IT, Basic Work Skills and Office Skills awards. Wishing to go on to college after her time at Woodlands, thanks to the awards, Stacey has gained a work placement at the Welsh Assembly Government.

Stacey says: “I’ve had a great time working at the Welsh Assembly Government. I have been helping out with general office duties - laminating, photocopying and shredding. The awards have really helped prepare me for this work placement and the skills I have learnt will help me in the future.”

Denise Puckett, head of equality, health and social care, at the Welsh Assembly Government, says: “Stacey has been fantastic and her support in the office has been invaluable. The ‘Moving on up’ program has enabled her to show her capabilities practically, and I was pleased to be able to provide support to the school in the development of practical achievements in the office for inclusion within this award. The development of a good relationship with Stacey, her family and the school meant that we were able to identify Stacey’s capabilities and work with her to challenge her further. She eagerly met every challenge we gave her, and I am very pleased that her effort has been recognized in this way.

“Stacey’s placement within the team has also changed attitudes and beliefs of staff. Instead of concentrating on the problems that could be faced, we always worked on Stacey’s strengths and this in turn has had a positive influence in the office. I personally feel very privileged to have been able to help Stacey and wish her every success in the future."
Kevin, 18, from Culverhouse Cross is working on the Basic Work Skills and Customer Care awards. A skilled handyman, Kevin has flourished at worked experience in the maintenance department of Cardiff-based The Angel Hotel.

Kevin says: “I’m good at doing practical things which is why I have really enjoyed the placement in the maintenance department of the Angel Hotel. I have been helping by painting, putting up shelves, taking up tiles and putting together furniture. I would like to try serving people which is where my award in customer care would help. I’m also speaking to a friend about opportunities to work in his electrical business. He knows I have special needs but he said that doesn’t matter and the practical skills I have learnt at the Angel will come in very handy.”

Chloe Lister, training manager at the Angel Hotel, says: “While we have always been open to taking on students with learning difficulties for work placements, up until now there has never been anything that demonstrates exactly what skills these pupils have and what they are capable of. The ‘moving on up’ awards have been a really useful tool in allowing us to do this and consequently we have been able to cater for Kevin’s skills and abilities by placing him in the maintenance department. He has many practical skills and he has been a great help to the team. He is a friendly and enthusiastic individual who is willing to learn and always happy to help out. We would have no qualms in employing him in the future.”

After two years of developing the awards and consulting with local businesses and the Welsh Assembly Government as to what skills these employers wanted students to show, the awards, which have been piloted for a year by students at Woodlands School, are now being adopted by a number of schools across England and Wales.

Jayne Wynn, training manager at Primus Training and Consultancy, says: “Every achiever deserves recognition and there is no reason for students with learning difficulties to be left out. It is our ambition to enable every student with learning difficulties to reach their full potential and make a successful transition to further educational opportunities and the world of work.

“Many employers are unsure of how to extend job opportunities to students with special and additional support needs and how to recognise their skills. In helping develop these awards, employers now have an insight into what these students are capable of in the workplace. As a result, they can gain proof of the exact skills that they are looking for and students can feel a sense of achievement in providing that proof.”

For further information on this press release, please contact freshbaked PR at pr@freshbaked.co.uk. freshbaked PR is a Cardiff based public relations agency which represents a number of private and public sector organisations in the Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol business communities, as well as Newport in south Wales, home of golf’s 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel. For clients based in Cardiff PR agency services are provided from the Head Office in The Maltings.