I was at the recent DFN Project SEARCH graduation ceremony and the Youth Skills Employment Guarantee launch at Hounslow Council.
As an employer, we share a passion for young people and have integrated the DFN Project SEARCH programme into three of our local hotels. A fourth will follow in September, when Twickenham Marriott will be hosting a programme for the first time.
We first became involved with DFN Project SEARCH in July 2015, working with key stakeholders, including an education provider, a supported employment partner, and the local authority.
These partnerships are crucial to the success of delivering the project and we launched the programme in September 2016, with nine interns. We’ve now celebrated the seventh consecutive graduation ceremony.
Similar collaboration is necessary for the success of the Youth Skills and Employment Guarantee and we’re proud to be a part of the alliance.
The corporate benefits of DFN Project SEARCH go beyond fulfilling social responsibility and have significant and wide-reaching advantages.
Each property experienced a rise in constructive attitudes towards learning disabilities or autism. Departments that have had an intern are very motivated and enthusiastic. The understanding of people with learning disabilities amongst staff has advanced and this has led to more open discussions.
Staff have also taken pride in interns securing a job, either within the hotel or in the local community, as they have helped them improve their employability skills. Consequently, staff then share their experiences with guests, customers, friends, and family members.
This promotes the positive influence of interns and broadens the views and outlooks of others.
Also, improved efficiencies have been observed through simplified and streamlined processes. This has proved advantageous for staff in the long term.
The benefits of partnership working have been immense. It has allowed us to build relationships to better understand needs, preferences, and requirements. It has also helped develop a better sense of community and enabled the sharing of resources and knowledge.
But the most advantageous aspect for an organisation, which I saved for last, is the untapped potential of a talent pool that is often overlooked.
Only 4.8% of those with learning disabilities in the country secure employment, but initiatives such as Project SEARCH increase that number to 65%. Our own programmes have produced similar outcomes. For example, London Heathrow Marriott has seen 53 interns complete the programme over the 7-year period, with a 60% employment rate.
Meanwhile, Sheraton Skyline has had a 66% employment rate for interns, and Heathrow Windsor has had 60% success.
COVID and Brexit have posed significant challenges for the employment market but we have been fortunate enough to employ some gifted individuals through supported internships.
As part of Hounslow Council’s YSEG, there will be an improved offer for our SEND young people on DFN Project Search with 36 Supported Internships from Sept 2024.
Hounslow is one of over 100 DFN Project SEARCH sites across the UK. The programme increases a young person’s employability from 4.8% to 60%. Hounslow Council’s programmes have regularly achieved outcomes of 70% plus into full time paid employment.
