Derwen College is thrilled to have been presented with the Career Development Institute’s award for the best ‘Careers Programme in Post-16 Education’.
The UKCD Awards recognise and celebrate excellence across the career development sector in the UK and internationally.
This award recognises the creativity and commitment needed to bring career management activities to life, and to inspire young people in post-16 education to think about their careers.
Retail and Enterprise student CJ enjoys working at Derwen’s on-site charity shop, The Vintage Advantage. Alongside is Karen Hughes, who helps students to enter the workplace
The Derwen College way
At Derwen College, we use a person-centred method to support our students in reaching their aspirations.
As the goal for the majority of the college’s learners is employment, we build career information and relevant, meaningful work placements into each student’s timetable.
Work placements happen weekly, allowing students and employees to gain the most from partnerships and learn industry-standard work practices.
Progressive structure
Each bespoke learning pathway at Derwen College follows a progressive structure, which allows students to develop at a pace that suits their needs.
Students are nurtured in an environment designed to cater to their confidence and ability levels, introducing new skills and ideas without being overwhelming.
For those students not yet ready for a customer-facing role, our Stitch o’ Vintage clothing store or Bradbury Food Centre, for example, provide students with an introduction to working life in the relevant industry to their chosen pathway.
Student Ioan on an internal work experience placement at Derwen’s garden centre gift shop
Our customer-facing environments
When students are ready, they may progress to one of our dedicated customer-facing environments, such as The Orangery Restaurant, Walled Garden Café, garden centre, or The Vintage Advantage charity shop. Here, they can put their new skills into practice, supported by staff.
Throughout their journey, students are also supported by their pathway’s industry champion: a professional who runs their own business or who works for a local company, and who offers their expert advice and guidance to our students.
When they are ready, our students can transition to external work placements, with the option of continuing their learning through the Supported Internship Programme. This affords the students additional opportunities to gain experience in a real vocational environment.
Three days a week in industry settings
We are incredibly proud of our relationships with employers in local industry, who help to integrate our students into authentic working conditions by giving them a safe and supportive environment.
At this stage, students will spend three days per week in relevant industry settings, immersing themselves in their new environment.
Figures from the college’s 2022–23 leavers show that 63% of Derwen College graduates have gone on to, or are in the process of, starting paid or voluntary employment or further training after college.
Learn more
If you wish to learn more about our work supporting young people with special educational needs, consider attending one of our informative Open Day events.
Dates for Open Days at our campuses in Gobowen, Telford and Walford can be found at www.derwen.ac.uk
