Sustainability Expand Our way of working should support the long-term well-being of society, the economy and the environment. We aim to “meet the needs of the present without preventing future generations from meeting their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development). We want our work to have a positive impact long into the future, not just for now. Our work should not cause harm now or in the future.
What does a usual week look like on the programme? Expand It can be different for each person! You will work with your work coach and employer to find the best working pattern to suit you and the business needs. On both of our programmes you will spend 3 days per week learning in our venues. These three days include a Functional Skills day, a Job Club and Vocational Qualifications day, and an Enterprise day. In the Preparation for Employment year you will spend 6-8 hours per week in an interim work placement in the aim to develop your team working, time management, following instructions and communication skills. Developing your confidence in a workplace is key for preparing you for the Supported Internships year. In January the hours you spend in your work placement may increase as the Job Club day stops. In the Supported Internships year you will be in your work placement for 2-3 days a week. Your internship will start as soon as a work placement opportunity is available. Once you have started your internship your Job Club days will stop.
What is an ‘interim’ placement? Expand An interim placement is what you will do in the Preparation for Employment year. It is a stepping stone towards a long-term placement that will help you build up your confidence and learn new skills that will help you in the workplace. Interim placements are also sometimes used as half-way placements on the Supported Internships year. Sometimes, we cannot always find the placement that's right for you when you start the programme. If that’s the case, we place you on an interim placement as we think it’s better to get you a placement straight away to build up your confidence, rather than you waiting for a long-term placement to start.
What support is there for me to get to and from my placement? Expand Travel training and bursaries. Your Work Coach can support you to become an independent traveller through travel training. We can also support you in applying for Access to Work funding and a disabled persons bus pass. The bus pass will enable you to travel for free with a companion after 9:30am.
What support is there for me? Expand A lot! We understand that stepping into work may be scary which is why we support you in this journey! During your placement, you are matched with a Work Coach who will support you at work. They will help you become part of the team and be with you full time. This support is gradually reduced when you start to build confidence. During Functional Skills, you will be in a small class of up to 8 students. There is also a teacher and a TA that can help you with your work and setting your own goals. We also have employability experts who will help you in your job search. They will use your Vocational Profile to match you to the right placement.
Where are our Supported Employment Programmes? Expand Medway, Swale, Canterbury, and Gravesham. Our Supported Employment programmes run in Medway, Swale, Canterbury and Gravesham. We have Hub spaces for all classroom based activity, such as Job Club, Functional Skills, Enterprise, and Vocational Qualifications. We will also try to find a placement as close to home as possible for you.
Which subjects will I study in Functional Skills? Expand Maths, English and Employability. Our Functional Skills covers different subjects, with some freedom to choose too. The main focus is on Maths, English and Employability. You will also work towards your EHCP outcomes. We mix subjects with activities and practical lessons, set to your learning level.
Who can join? Expand We work with young people with learning difficulties and/or autism. You can join the Supported Internship programme if you: Are aged 16 – 24 Have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) Live in/near Medway, Swale, Gravesham or Canterbury Are ready to move on from education and into work If you match all of the above and want to work this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
Who manages issues with the intern if it doesn’t work out at any point? Expand bemix manages everything for you and ensures the intern has an alternative placement to go to. If the placement starts going wrong, be honest and act quickly. Contact your Work Coach and explain your concerns, so that any issues can hopefully be resolved quickly. It may be a skills gap, a difference in expectations between the intern and employer, a behaviour concern or simply a misunderstanding by the young person or employer. Identifying the problem quickly is the best way to resolve it, thereby hopefully avoiding a possible breakdown of the placement. Each month we have a workplace review with you to discuss the role and next steps and if we identify there were issues, we would identify them early and make alternate provision.
Will my placement stop during the holidays? Expand No. Functional Skills will stop during the holidays but the placement will not stop. The programme is about getting you into a work mindset and understanding that work does not run the same as school or college. Your employer will give you a set number of hours or days you can take off. You can choose when to take this, in or outside of the holidays. You then have to ask your employer to approve it before taking the time off.
Won’t an intern and work coach disrupt my team and affect productivity? Expand Quite the opposite! Our goal is to add to your resources, not drain them. Our coach complements the line management support you would provide for any staff member, and won’t get in the way. We are skilled at being unobtrusive in the workplace. The internship offers a chance for another team member to develop professionally as a supervisor or mentor, and promotes a supportive culture across your team. We’ll back that up with free-of-charge disability awareness training. An intern could support succession planning, if any staff need advancement or are close to retirement. Your intern could also happily take on routine tasks, freeing up skilled staff to focus on what they do best!