We facilitate 26-week work placements for people with a disability across BSO and 10 client organisations.
Benefits to Individuals:
The benefits for the people who are participants on the scheme are; an increase in confidence and self-esteem, and enhanced skills and work experience.
Some of the ways participants described the scheme were: “worthwhile” “life-changing” a “life line” and “improved well-being”.
A career pathway has also emerged: Those participants who are recent university graduates have used the scheme to gain confidence and experience to apply for the HSC Graduate Intern Scheme and others have used it to gain the relevant experience needed to apply for the Band 3 administrator waiting list.
Benefits to Teams :
The benefits to the teams who have a participant placed with them include; bringing additional skills into the organisation, moving towards creating a more diverse workforce and boosting staff morale.
Some of the ways teams and placement managers have described the scheme were: “We all learned different ways to communicate and present information,” “We all got such an enjoyment and fulfilment out of having him with us,” and “An unbelievable transformation in the level of confidence and self-awareness of the individual, which was rewarding to see.”