Businesses in Dorset are invited to take part in a 90-minute event designed to introduce SEND in the workplace. You can choose to attend either the Wednesday 21 April [4-5:30pm] or Thursday 27 May [4-5:30pm] event.
The event will dispel the myths surrounding Diversity and Inclusion and present the benefits to employers. We will provide you with a business case for recruiting young people with SEND.
Dorset Careers Hub, part of Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), have organised these events, in partnership with Dorset Council, BCP Council and The Careers and Enterprise Company, to show you how you can support young people with SEND achieve their future pathways.
“This event will go a long way to provide clarity and confidence”
Cllr Andrew Parry said: “We respect and value your time and acknowledge this is a potentially busy time of year as COVID-related guidelines start to relax. These events have been designed to only take an hour and a half, but that quick session has potentially significant results for your business. Plus, we’re hosting this completely digitally, so you don’t need to leave your existing work environment.”
Steve Williams, Careers Hub Lead, said: “Dorset businesses understand that young people with SEND should have local pathways towards careers and independent living, and they know that it is rewarding in many ways to offer opportunities and support. The challenge in that they often feel unsure how to engage with schools to tailor their student engagement and work experience appropriately. This event will go a long way to provide clarity and confidence.”
Elaine Redding, BCP Council’s Interim Corporate Director, Children’s Services, said: “BCP Council is proud to work as an employer and with other employers, to champion the value that young people with SEND add to the workplace. We are encouraging more employers in BCP and pan-Dorset, to offer work experience, employment and supported internships to local young people with additional needs. Their contribution to their employers is immense.”
All companies who sign up will be promoted through Dorset Council and our partners social media accounts.
The agenda for the day
- What support is there for Businesses and Employers? (DWP, Access to Work, Reasonable Adjustments etc)
- Opportunities for work-related employment training
- Dorset young people with SEND ‘tell’ their real-life stories
- Employers already recruiting young people with SEND share their insights and success stories
- Opportunity for questions
Future events ambition
It is our ambition that these employer and business SEND information events will run annually, taking place in the Autumn, Spring and Summer term becoming embedded within the Dorset Careers calendar. We aim to grow further and wider for a more inclusive and diverse Dorset workplace and workforce.
Dorset Careers Hub
Dorset Careers Hub now supports 75 schools and colleges across Dorset with SEND provisions increasing from 5 to 18 this year (2020-21). That’s an increase of 18% and takes the total to 24%. This is not including the Foundation Learning departments within our colleges or those pupils and students in mainstream schools – so SEND is a very high priority.
Please select the Wednesday 21 April [4-5:30pm] or Thursday 27 May [4-5:30pm] event. We look forward to seeing you there!
