Transcript Doncaster college for the deaf work experience

Doncaster College for the Deaf
Employment Liaison Department
Lianne Wood
Our College
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Built in 1829 as The Yorkshire Institution for the Deaf
and Dumb, we have seen many transformations over the
years. In 1904 it became the Yorkshire Institute for the
Deaf and in 1941 The Yorkshire Residential School for
the Deaf. Today, The Doncaster School for the Deaf and
Doncaster College for the Deaf run side by side under
the umbrella of Doncaster Deaf Trust. We are a
residential college and currently have 145 students, 52
of which are day students that live near enough to travel
to our campus each day. The remainder are residential
at College and stay in one of the lodges on site or live in
house shared rented accommodation off site.
Employment Liaison Department
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2 full time Employment Liaison Officers and 1
part time Employment Liaison Support Worker.
Deliver job preparation sessions.
Complete transitional interviews with students.
Attend student annual reviews and department
meetings.
Maintain links for the Employer Forum.
Arrange work experience both locally and
nationally.
Work experience
We have different ways for students to complete
work experience:
 Students may do ½ - 2 day per week placement
during term time, with or without support.
 Students may complete a 1-4 week block locally
to Doncaster during term time or holidays
usually without support.
 Students may return to their home area for a 14 week block during term time or holidays
without support.
“Opportunities to participate in
external work placements are very
good; many placements are
arranged in the learners’ home
area”
Ofsted inspection report Nov 2007
Why it works – Students
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Students understand the importance of work experience.
Expectations through job preparation sessions.
They are involved in their placement.
Tasters for the real world of work.
Identified appointed contact for work experience
available at any time.
The interview process.
An opportunity to use the skills they have been taught in
the classroom.
Having a referee for their CV or the possibility of
employment.
Why it works - Employers
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Thorough information about the individual student from
the start.
One contact person from initial approach, at interview,
during monitoring right up to completion.
Flexibility of the work experience placement.
The support from college.
Thorough H&S, responsibilities & guidance information.
Opportunity to meet the student at interview.
Increases awareness of disability within their own staff.
May lead to them gaining an employee.
The students’ patience and flexible approach to
communication.
Why it works - College
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The work experience is all in one place.
Small close knit team.
The continuous reinforcement from all areas of college
for the importance of employment.
We are part of the college and know our students.
The excellent links we have built up over the years with
our employers both locally and nationally.
Our expertise in selling our students skills and the idea
of work experience.
Monitoring and observing the students.
The continuous links we keep and sustain with our
employers.
Feedback
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During a placement we will ask the employer for
monitoring feedback and we regularly contact the
student to let us know how they are getting on. The
monitoring may be done over the phone or by visiting
the employer and student.
When a student returns to us from a work experience
placement, we send out a letter of thanks, report form
and attendance card to the employer. This way the
employer can feedback on reflection of how they felt the
placement went.
We ask the student for their feedback on what they liked
and disliked about the placement.
Contact
Doncaster College for the Deaf
Leger Way
Doncaster
DN2 6AY
Tel: 01302 386700
Fax: 01302 361808
Email: [email protected]
www.deaf-trust.co.uk/college
College open days:
26th January 2011
Wednesday 2nd March 2011
Wednesday 4th May 2011
Wednesday 5th October 2011.