Employability – It’s September, the summer holidays are over and it’s time for the children to go back to school. Oh and, yes, it’s also the time for us to welcome our new cohort of Employability students from Hereward College for their year-long internships at Severn Trent Centre.
For those of you who don’t know, Employability is an amazing scheme that Severn Trent have been running for six years now (yes, we even managed a truncated version during lockdown), in partnership with Hereward College. It gives students with special educational needs workplace internships, alongside a qualification, so that students can experience work, gain more confidence in the workplace and ultimately help them on the way to starting their career.
Mike Williamson, the scheme’s chair and sponsor, explains: “When I joined Severn Trent, I wanted to do something more than just the day job. I found the Employability scheme and I knew it was where I wanted to direct my energy. Giving people jobs and creating careers is one of the most fulfilling things for me and to be able to do this for section of society that doesn’t always get the same chances as the rest of us is just fantastic. It’s one of the things I’m most proud of being a part of.”
This year we are welcoming Caleb, Ryan and Cameron to the Health, Safety and Wellbeing and Comms teams at Severn Trent Centre, Coventry.
The scheme has been highly successful, both in Severn Trent and in other companies across the country who have embraced it. Students with special educational needs who undertake an Employability internship are approximately ten times more likely to get a job than those who haven’t had the opportunity. It is truly life changing for the students. A number of former interns now have permanent roles in Severn Trent.
There is a great team across Severn Trent that supports the students, including our super job coach Kim, and we are also looking to expand the programme with other partner colleges. If you would like to know more about Employability please contact Mike Williamson at (mike.williamson@stservices.co.uk).
