Personalised, aspiration driven work training programmes for people with learning difficulties.
We currently run programmes for school based group cohorts (SEND to Enterprise) and workplace based individuals (SEND to Work or SEND to Self Employment).
We currently run programmes for school based group cohorts (SEND to Enterprise) and workplace based individuals (SEND to Work or SEND to Self Employment).
Everything we do at the Sand Project works within our ‘5ade’ Framework, created here at the Sand Project. We believe these are the ‘5-a-day-expectations’ that need to be met if we are to increase employability of SEND young people.
Resilience, perseverance, confidence, motivation and creativity. These are just some of the skills associated with the identifying and seizing of self serving opportunities. Often these skills are absent in SEND job seekers
In West Sussex, only 3.2% of known people with learning difficulties are in paid employment. This means 96.8% are unemployed and living on benefits – often never leaving home, living as dependants – and increasingly likely to remain so. In addition, this long term unemployment will statistically contribute to reduced physical, mental and emotional wellbeing which will impact on healthcare and NHS resources.
Some of the reasons that have become apparent to Kate in her years in SEND education are:
- Inadequate work experience placements whilst at school or college due to low expectations of employers
- Insufficient emphasis placed on the importance of teaching work related skills, as defined by our partner group, Skillsbuilder
- Detrimental college experiences
- The mainstream workplace is not always accessible for highly skilled people with autism
- Learned passivity - no one has taught them the entrepreneurial skills needed to create opportunity for themselves