JOBS AND SKILLS
Young people with
learning difficulties are
gaining job opportunities
and training through a
nationally groundbreaking
scheme backed by
the council, reports
Jack Butler.
Serving up skills
P
roject SEARCH is an
internship programme
organised by a partnership of
Ealing Council, West London
Alliance and Ealing Mencap; and it is
run at Hilton London Heathrow Airport
Terminal 5 and West London College.
Over the past five years, the Hilton
has supported more than 40 young
people with learning difficulties,
including autism and Down’s
syndrome, to be trained as waiters,
receptionists and porters. It is believed
to be the first hotel group in the UK to
get involved in a scheme like this.
According to Mencap, in England
only 6% of the adults known to have
a learning disability are in paid work.
Project SEARCH was set up to help
improve that statistic locally.
Ealing Mencap job coaches, including
Jai Upadhyaya, who said: “Angel has
really grown as an individual. Not only
do the interns learn the skills that they
need in the hospitality industry,
but it also helps them
overall in their lives.”
‘I REALLY ENJOY IT’
Angel is from Ealing
video at
and now works
‘THE CONFIDENCE
Watch a
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full-time at the
TO FLOURISH’
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Hilton at Terminal
Councillor Jasbir Anand,
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features
5 after completing
the council’s cabinet
the internship
member for business
programme. She said:
and community services,
“I have worked here for
said: “It is really important
two years and I really enjoy it. I
that everyone has the chance to
had a buddy when I first started and
work so that they have a stake in our
I learned a lot from them and
society. That is why I am so proud to
I now train interns myself
have Ealing Council working on this
and show them what I do
project and to see the development of
and teach them what I
the skills of young adults with learning
have learned.”
difficulties. This means that they can
not only forge their own career, but
LIFE SKILLS
also build the confidence to flourish in
AS WELL AS
their lives.”
WORK SKILLS
Read the full story and watch a
All the interns
video at ealingnewsextra.co.uk/
at the hotel are
features/search
supported by
around ealing December 2018
11