Benefits to companies

First impressions, first experiences is a 14-week programme to support young disabled people in Tower Hamlets and surrounding areas on the road to a rewarding career.

Participating companies benefit from:

• the enthusiasm and motivation that the young disabled people bring
• support for your diversity and staff engagement programmes
• no financial cost as this is work experience
• our expert support

Types of employment placements

We have four work experience windows, each lasting up to eight weeks. The start dates are:

• 7 May 2012
• 3 September 2012
• 7 January 2013
• 6 May 2013

Call 07807 799 928 to find out more – contact us today!

You can choose to offer:

• placements of two or three days per week for six to eight weeks
• tasters of one or two days over a two-week period

Employment support we provide

If you provide a placement for us, we will:

• make sure you get the right person, whose career goals match your organisation
• fund the young person’s travel costs
• work with you to complete a health and safety assessment
• provide support and advice to both you and the young person

The programme - how it works

Young people referred onto programme

Week 1 – 2 Initial

• We work with the young person to understand their career goals and build a personal action plan.

Week 3 – 4 Personal development

• We work with the young person to develop important employability skills and match their goals to work experience opportunities.

Week 5 – 12 Work experience

• The young person works with you to develop their skills and experience, while also being supported by volunteers from the local business community through job clubs and mentoring.

Week 13 – 14 Action planning

• We work with the young person to evaluate achievements, assess employer feedback and think about next steps.