Eleven young people with learning disabilities will get support with finding employment, following a partnership between Haringey Council, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, CONEL and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
The partnership is run with Project SEARCH, a charity that works with organisations in the UK to help people with learning disabilities find work. Project SEARCH will provide the young people with year-long supported internships at North Middlesex Hospital which they will complete alongside on-site academic studies.
The interns will work in various departments in the hospital, developing their confidence and communication. They will also receive practical work-based training and be taught English, maths and employability skills for an hour every day. At the end of the academic year, the group will have an opportunity to apply for jobs at the hospital.
People with learning disabilities face significant barriers to securing paid employment and finding sustainable careers. According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, only 7% of people with a learning disability are currently in paid employment; however, this figure increases to 65% for those who have completed Project SEARCH programmes.
Haringey is referring young people to the programme and also developing opportunities to assist students after they have completed the internships.
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