Siemens Mobility and partners have celebrated the success of the first year of a pioneering programme supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities to enter the world of work.
The supported internship programme has seen five young people benefit from extensive support and guidance to gain experience, confidence and vital life skills from a variety of roles at Siemens Mobility’s Goole Rail Village.
The initiative is a partnership between Siemens Mobility, learning disability charity DFN Project SEARCH, Selby College, part of the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, and Hft, a national charity supporting adults with learning disabilities to live the best life possible.
Craig Beech, Service Operations Manager at the Goole Rail Village, said:
“It’s been inspiring to watch these young people grow in confidence and capability throughout the year. They have been given genuine roles in the workplace becoming integral team members, contributing meaningfully to our operations while developing the skills they need for their future careers.
“The programme has the single objective of preparing the interns for the world of work and it has certainly achieved that. They are now all ready to make the step into permanent employment and become valued and productive team members, wherever their future career takes them.
“The programme has been transformational not just for the interns, but for our entire workforce. Our teams have embraced the opportunity to mentor and support these young people, and it’s strengthened our workplace culture significantly.”
Global rail technology leader Siemens Mobility is investing up to £240 million to make the Goole Rail Village an industry-leading centre of excellence, which will bring up to 1,000 new jobs to East Yorkshire, as well as around 1,700 supply chain opportunities.
The internship programme pioneered at the Goole Rail Village forms part of Siemens Mobility’s broader commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. The first cohort’s graduation event celebrated the achievements of Linden Campbell, Leon Delsaint, Byron Myers, Milena Wantoch-Rekowska and Lucy Yardy, who have all completed the programme.
Kirsty Matthews, CEO at DFN Project SEARCH, said:
“Through our workplace-based programmes, such as the one run with Siemens Mobility, we have seen young people with a learning disability, who are autistic, or both, demonstrate their talents and capabilities every day.
“Over the past year, our partnership with Siemens Mobility has allowed five interns to each gain 800 hours of workplace experience and has proven that when businesses look beyond traditional recruitment, everyone benefits.
“I congratulate the interns that have completed the programme and wish them every success as they head into the workforce. I hope it encourages others to enrol in the future so that we can create a UK job market where everyone is recognised for their talents, and everyone feels empowered to lead a positive, independent and fulfilling life.”
Gemma Sampson, Supported Internship Lecturer at Selby College, said:
“I am very proud of our five outstanding DFN Project SEARCH learners who have now graduated from their supported internships.
“This celebration is an important milestone in their employment journey and their resilience and dedication has laid the foundation for promising futures. At the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, we hope this is just the beginning of successes to come from this workplace programme and we look forward to seeing more graduates over the coming years.”
Over the past year, the interns have spent five days a week at the Goole Rail Village, combining classroom learning with hands-on workplace experience across job rotations. They have worked in various areas, including the train assembly factory, the components service facility, operations, the warehouses, maintenance, procurement, reception, canteen and cleaning teams, gaining real work experience while building essential life skills.
Through the programme, participants develop both practical and technical skills and crucial soft skills, such as workplace etiquette, professional communication and independent travel. Comprehensive support is provided throughout, including a dedicated on-site teacher from Selby College and a full-time job coach from Hft.
Vital to the programme’s success has been the contribution of more than 50 Siemens Mobility volunteers from across the Rail Village who have donated their time as mentors and managers, assisted by training provided to enable them to offer the fullest possible support to the interns.
One of the programme graduates, Lucy Yardy, 23, has already secured a job in the canteen at the Goole Rail Village, working 20 hours a week as a catering assistant with catering provider Compass Group.
“I’m very excited about my new job,” said Lucy. “I particularly enjoyed the catering rotation during the programme and I’m now looking forward to making lots of nice meals and serving people at Siemens.”
The initiative’s success has already prompted Siemens Mobility to expand the programme, with six new interns set to join in September.
As a Disability Confident Employer, Siemens Mobility has implemented targeted recruitment schemes and enhanced support systems, representing the company’s commitment to making a deep and lasting difference to the local community in Goole and the wider region.
DFN Project SEARCH is a national charity whose supported internship programmes enable young people aged 18-24 who have a learning disability or autism spectrum condition, and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (ECHP), to develop the skills needed to secure meaningful permanent employment.
The DFN Project SEARCH programme operates through partnerships between employers, education providers and specialist support agencies to offer structured job coaching and support to help young people with learning challenges make a positive transition into the world of work. DFN Project SEARCH achieves over 60% success rate nationally in getting participants into full-time paid employment (defined as over 16 hours per week).
