Work experience scheme provides opportunities for students from special educational needs schools in Newtownabbey

The initiative, led by Antrim and Newtownabbey Council and Workplus, a company established to assist people find employment, supported 67 pupils from five schools across the borough, helping them to find placements at 28 businesses.

In total, 37 placements were provided for students from Abbey Community College and Integrated College Glengormley, while 30 placements were delivered for students from Hill Croft School, Jordanstown School and Riverside School.

A council spokesperson said: “This innovative scheme delivered meaningful, structured work experience opportunities for students based on their career aspirations.

"This dynamic programme supported students to make informed career choices and demonstrated the breadth of opportunities available within the borough.

“With Northern Ireland having the lowest disability employment rate in the UK, the programme is particularly important in that 30 young people from special educational settings were given placements. This has demonstrated these students can play an active and full role in the workforce and that employers, who are struggling for talent, should consider recruitment from this talented cohort.”

Speaking to the Newtownabbey Times, Richard Kirk, CEO of Workplus, explained: “Coming off the back of the Covid-19 pandemic, the council were keen to help employers and schools better connect with each other. We looked at work experience as a good way of connecting our young people with the exciting opportunities available in the borough.

"It’s often difficult for young people, their parents and their schools to know which employers are out there and for employers to make the time for work experience.

"We created a programme which was focused, got employers on board from a really diverse mix, lots of different sectors including finance, engineering and software, as well as a number of manual roles too. It provided a good variety of work experience opportunities for young people.

It’s really diverse in terms of the opportunities and the young people who participated, making work experience much more inclusive for businesses and schools right across the borough.”

Regan Bingham, an HR Officer at Dennison Commercials in Ballyclare, detailed the benefits of being involved in the project.

She stated: “The scheme has been very beneficial for us. It helps pupils learn what they like and what they enjoy doing and hopefully that will help them find their chosen careers. It also helps us find future talent, nurturing that and the next generation of staff for us.”

Gordon Cross, Director of Newtownabbey-based Revolution Productions, echoed these sentiments. Mr Cross commented: “We liked the professionalism Antrim and Newtownabbey Council and Workplus offered the scheme and the two young people who were involved with us were just incredible. They were really interested in our events industry and we’d definitely be involved in this scheme again.”

Jordanstown School pupil Max McGall gained experience during his placement at The Junction in Antrim.

Max stated: “I really enjoyed my time on the scheme. This was my first time in a work environment and it was a lot of fun. We sorted stock for the shops and worked as a team. I would be happy to be involved in this again.”