Making it work for adults with learning difficulties Wednesday, June 9, 2010 - 14:59

Learners with learning difficulties were given a unique opportunity to attend a one day training course alongside staff members. The training, held in Preston, Thursday 10 June 2010, on embedding a supported employment approach in vocational courses - to help people with learning difficulties into paid work - is based on the recently launched book from NIACE - Making it Work.

Yola Jacobsen, NIACE Programme Director, said:

"Using person-centred planning tools specifically designed for this training, learners will work with a supported employment expert and skilled facilitators and will be talking about work, what it means to them and their plans for future work."

"Staff will have the opportunity to explore supported employment through the Making it Work book that offers information, case studies and resources. Staff and learners will, together, write an action plan to take back to their organisation."

Supported employment is central to achieving the goal of the 2009 cross-government strategy Valuing Employment Now which is to radically increase the number of people with moderate and severe learning disabilities in paid work by 2025. The role of learning providers in embedding the supported employment model in vocational courses, is a crucial part of achieving this goal.

This is the first of nine regional training courses for staff in the learning and skills sector, and learners with learning difficulties which are funded by the Valuing Employment Now Team.