When asked to consider what he could do for his local community in Lincoln, Chris Simm, Serco’s Social Value Lead for Local Government, masterminded a job coaching and mentoring programme. The aim was to help students in local education with additional needs develop employability skills, professional skills, and build confidence.
"Students with additional needs often find it particularly difficult to access meaningful workplace training with employers who are willing to invest in their development."
Chris tackled the issue head on, at first offering short workplace training and job coaching to students. The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Lincolnshire County Council SEND Employability Team were delighted to put forward students from the local area to pilot the scheme.
After an initial trial the team realised the students often needed additional support with communication skills, confidence, professional skills and overcoming individual challenges, and that this was something they could offer.
Chris said, “In a lot of cases the additional support was just as important as the workplace training itself. Experiencing the working world for the first time is a challenge for any student, and we recognised that individuals with additional needs might face additional challenges."
Ellis, one of the mentoring programme’s first participants explains:
“The support I’ve been given has definitely helped me overcome the challenges of the work environment. It’s helped me develop my customer service skills, helped me work on my communication skills and my problem solving.”
Sam, another participant credits the employability skills scheme with building his confidence and supporting him to find a full-time job.
“Before Serco, my confidence wasn't really at such a good level. I struggled to interact with people, especially in work environments. When I started doing the workplace training with Serco, they helped me build up my confidence levels and it's actually improved my social skills, my professional skills and it's really boosted my morale. Because of Serco I’m now in a full-time job with the Department for Work and Pensions.
“Before the placement I was a bit nervous because I hadn’t been in a workplace like Serco before and it was a bit of first-time jitters, but as soon as I met the staff who greeted me and who I shadowed, they were really kind and professional and friendly, so it made me settle in a bit more.
“As soon as it got to nearer the end, it kind of felt a bit emotional because it felt like I had a professional home there, as if Serco was a professional family, they made me feel really welcome."
Since Serco helped him build his skills and confidence, Sam has found a full-time job as an Admin Officer in the Department for Work and Pensions.
The mentoring programme combined shadowing key staff in customer services, ICT, facilities management and the training and development teams, with opportunities to experience work in these areas.
During the placement the students were supported with personalised mentoring and employability skills support. This included training and activities tailored to each individual to develop their self-management, communication skills, and problem solving.
Chris Simm, Social Value Lead, Local Government, Serco, concluded:
“Employability skills mentoring and educational support for students, especially those with additional needs, is at the heart of our social value strategy. I’m very proud of the progress and the outcomes our participants have achieved, it really has been a privilege to be part of that.
“Our goal is for 100% of all participants to find paid employment following our support."
