European Pathways to Employment for Disabled Young People Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Pathways to Employment for Disabled Young People

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Disabilities – special needs; Access for disadvantaged

Project Summary

European Pathways to Employment for Disabled Young People was a Strategic Partnership project involving Petroc, an FE college from Devon, and Duveholms Gymnasiesärskola, a special school in Katrineholm, Sweden. The partnership used their experience in their respective countries to review and investigate the most appropriate way to prepare disabled young people for meaningful employment. The context for this work was the fact that at a European level only 6% of disabled people are active in the labour market, significantly lower than average figures for their able-bodied contemporaries.

Over the course of 2 years partners conducted research into the best potential model for developing employability skills and delivering work experience for learning disabled students. Having reviewed a range of delivery models used in the UK and Sweden including social enterprise, in-house internships and supported internships, a Career Pathway was developed which sets out a flexible framework for developing employability skills.

Partners also developed and tested a range of resources which can be used with students before, during and after work placements to support them as they develop their skills. These include:

– My Employability Workbook: Used when a student first arrives at college to establish their preferences, skills profile and gather input from tutors, parents and carers. This helps staff to match students to the appropriate work experience opportunities so that they have the chance to gain experience in a setting in which they are comfortable and appropriately supported but where they will also be able to learn and stretch themselves.

– Student Work Placement Log Book: Used during work experience placements to review progress daily such as new skills gained and goal setting. Includes induction information, timesheets and an employability assessment. This is a useful tool to ensure they make progress throughout their placements and also provides a document of their achievements.

– Employment Support Information: Essential information for employers to know when the student moves into the workplace as they leave college. Includes workplace support needs, information on how they learn best, strategies for helping them, skills and ambitions. This can be given to an employer at interview and also be used as they progress at work or as a useful tool for managing any change.

Work on these outputs was consolidated at Transnational Meetings and workshops in both the UK and Sweden. In May 2017 a group of students from both partners undertook a week-long intensive work placement to test the resources with ICA Supermarket in Katrineholm, Sweden.

Though longer-term impact will be measured after the project has finished, we are able to confirm that students at both partner organisations have increased their employability and there is a promising increase in employment outcomes for supported learners, particularly in the UK. Staff have praised the resources, finding them easy to use and have been able to incorporate elements of the Career Pathway into their own delivery. By sharing both the research and resources with other training providers at a range of events organised both inside and outside of the partnership, these learnings will be incorporated into the practices of a wide range of organisations in the UK and Sweden.

The project was particularly successful in engaging with a range of stakeholders including employers, local government, other schools and colleges and organisations interested in social justice. As a result, the project has included mentions in parliament in both countries and the development of networks which will provide forums for sharing of best practice.

The long-term aim of the project is to increase the job-skills and employability of young disabled people across Europe increasing their social well-being and reducing the disparity between he levels of employment between able-bodied and disabled young people.

You can access further information about the project including the research and resources at: https://www.petroc.ac.uk/college-information/projects/european-pathways-to-employment

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 68065 Eur

Project Coordinator

PETROC & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Duveholms gymnasiesärskola