Building independence through work placements: Charlie’s story

Charlie is one of our former students at BeyondAutism Post-19. He attended the college for five years, undertaking a series of work experience placements over his last two before graduating.

These were very valuable experiences for Charlie, giving him opportunities to develop his skills and gain confidence, which helps to break down barriers to future employment.

Developing real-world skills

During Charlie’s time at BeyondAutism Post-19, he gained experience in a variety of different settings, in both internal and external-facing roles.

This work included placements at libraries, at charity shops, on reception at the Museum of Richmond, and office work at the marketing company What’s Possible Group.

“When I first started my placements, I needed to be shown my tasks for the day and then supported by my tutor. As I got used to the placements, I knew what I needed to do and didn’t need as much support. Sometimes these things could be challenging, and my tutor would step in and help me, and then next time I would need less support and learned to do things on my own.”

Charlie undertook a number of placements in the food industry, working at two pop-up street food stalls, as well as Kitchen Roots Community in Chessington. In these roles, his responsibilities ranged from preparing food to waiting on customers. He also gained experience as a ranger at Morden Hall Park, where he did gardening work and park maintenance, before moving to the retail team at the park’s garden centre.

The impact of this work was huge for Charlie, helping him to feel more comfortable in public-facing settings:

“My retail positions have taught me how to interact appropriately with customers, and it increased my confidence.”

A transdisciplinary approach

Charlie’s experiences reflect our approach at BeyondAutism Post-19.

By providing tailored education to each individual, which combines teaching at our learning hubs with hands-on external work placements, we ensure all our students are given the right opportunities to thrive.

For Charlie, it all fits together:

“Speech therapy helped me to understand when I didn’t know what employers wanted me to do, and occupational therapy made sure I could carry out all the physical things that I needed to do. Having my tutor there in case I struggled with anything really helped me a lot.”

These workplace experiences form an important stepping stone towards reducing support needs, increasing independence and preparing students for life after education.

Charlie’s future

Not only have Charlie’s work placements helped him develop his skills and experience, but they have also helped pave a future for him:

“It has enabled me to know what work is like and decide that I would like to be in paid employment in the future.”

Since graduating from BeyondAutism Post-19, Charlie has gone on to work at Nickel Support, where he upcycles furniture and prepares food for their café which is run by fellow autistic individuals and people with learning disabilities.

He attends Workshop 305 where he creates ceramic artwork to be displayed in local exhibitions.

And his work experience at Morden Hall Park Garden Centre did not end when he left BeyondAutism Post-19, as he continues to volunteer there every Monday morning.

“BeyondAutism has helped me prepare for my work in the future, and I’m very grateful for what they have supported me to do.”

Charlie’s story shows how personalised support and real-world experiences can help autistic young adults to belong, succeed and shape their own future.

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