By KLTV Newsdesk
Kirklees Council has announced it is supporting this year’s Disability History Month by helping young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) secure life-changing jobs in Kirklees.
UK Disability History Month 2020 runs until Friday 18th December, and this year’s theme is focused on understanding the importance of the struggles of Disabled People in terms of access.
During the month, Kirklees Council has announced it will become a host employer for the nationally supported internship programme DFN Project SEARCH.
DFN Project SEARCH programmes offer young people a one-year transition to work programme in their final year of school or college to enable inclusion and empowerment.
Gaining Skills
As an employer, the council says they will work in partnership with Kirklees College and its Real Employment team to help young people with learning disabilities gain the skills they need to get meaningful, paid jobs.
The council has now become the second employer in Kirklees to be a host for DFN Project SEARCH: the Mid Yorkshire NHS Foundation Trust – Dewsbury started their scheme in 2019.
DFN Project SEARCH programmes aim to build a more inclusive society by helping young people with learning disabilities and autism to access high-quality work-related learning through supported internships and improved opportunities to access long-term paid employment.
Students attend for a full academic year on-site at the host business, and the programme includes a combination of employability skills teaching, career exploration and hands-on training through a series of job rotations supported by qualified job coaches.
‘Right to Aspire’
Speaking on the announcement, DFN Project SEARCH CEO Claire Cookson said: “We are very proud of all our partners who we work with in delivering DFN Project SEARCH and the impact it is making to the lives of young people with learning disabilities and autism in Kirklees.”
“Every young person has a right to aspire to work, something that is often denied to people with learning disabilities and autism.
“The great work of our partners is an incredible commitment to ensuring quality working opportunities are available for those with learning disabilities and autism in Kirklees.”
‘Best Start in Life’
Councillor Carole Pattison, Cabinet member for Learning, Aspiration and Communities said: “We are delighted to be partnering with DFN Project SEARCH to support young people with learning disabilities in the borough.
One of our key priorities is the best start in life for all young people, and by signing up to this programme, we are creating opportunities for some of our most disadvantaged residents and working towards a more inclusive society”.
For further details and to discuss the programme, contact Julia Farrar, Curriculum Area Manager at Kirklees College on: 01924 465916 or email: jfarrar@kirkleescollege.ac.uk