Exeter firms invite deaf students into their working world
Thanks to an array of Exeter businesses, Exeter Deaf Academy students have seen how they could achieve their dream careers during their first World of Work Week which ran from 13 – 17 June.
Exeter Deaf Academy’s vision is to see Deaf people valued by themselves and their society, well educated, independent with good and appropriate employment and housing. This vision is at the core of their World of Work Week which aims to partner with Exeter businesses to help open the Deaf Academy Year 10’s eyes to the opportunities available to them and show how, with the correct skills, they can achieve their dream careers.
Exeter is considered to be one of the most Deaf friendly cities in the country and many Exeter businesses eagerly opened their doors to the students. The opportunity to visit these local businesses enabled the students to understand the range of job roles available and learn more about how they could gain their first step on the career ladder.
One of the businesses involved was John Lewis who gave the students a full tour of the Exeter branch.
Branch Operations Assistant, Joshua Binks, said, “Having a tour of the shop allowed the students to understand more about John Lewis and the diverse career options we have available. I hope that the students who participated enjoyed the morning and walked away knowing there are definite opportunities for them to work here. The visit was truly a great opportunity for both Exeter Deaf Academy and John Lewis to work together and to share learnings. It’s certainly something we’d like to repeat.”
Work experience was offered for the careers students wished to do in the future. This included as a groundsman at the National Trust and in administration at Babcock LDP. Living Options Devon explained more about the government’s Access to Work scheme which can provide interpreters and other practical support.
Face to Face Career and Personal Adviser, Vicci Wood, said, “This week has been a brilliant opportunity for the students to see what life after the Deaf Academy can hold for them. Previously, they may have thought there were careers they couldn’t do, but after this week they have raised their aspirations, confidence and can now see a bright future for themselves in the working world.”
Exeter Deaf Academy Work Related Learning Co-ordinator, Carina Davis, explained further, “We have several effective partnerships with businesses and organisations across Exeter and Devon and would like to say thank you to those for offering work experience to our students. As experiential learners, our students benefit from the opportunity to see the world of work in action and to gain first hand experiences in real workplaces rather than being told about it in class. We hope next year’s work related learning programme including work experience and World of Work Week will be bigger: involving more learners with more businesses. We are already making plans.”
To find out more about how your business could support the students at Exeter Deaf Academy please contact Carina Davis on cdavis@exeterdeafacademy.ac.uk or 01392 267075.
