Last year, William was a No Limits learner in Buckinghamshire with a clear ambition: he wanted a paid job, just like his brother and sister.
Today, he is helping other people with learning disabilities take steps towards their own employment goals.
William recently returned to MacIntyre No Limits™ in High Wycombe to help lead an employment workshop for local businesses. The event brought employers together to explore how they can create meaningful work opportunities for people with learning disabilities, and William was there to share his own experience.
William is no longer a No Limits learner. He left last year after building up experience through work and volunteering, including at Hills Community Café in Micklefield, High Wycombe. He has continued to develop his role at Hills, where he is keen to become increasingly independent.
When William wrote for MacIntyre last year about his plans for the future, he was proud of the work he was doing at Hills and said his ambition was to gain paid employment. Now, he is using what he has learned to help employers understand the value of giving people with learning disabilities a chance.
The High Wycombe event was a great example of the collaborative approach needed to make that happen. Employers who already work with MacIntyre came along to share their experiences and talk about how well their partnerships are working. They also helped explore how people can be matched with the right opportunities, while MacIntyre continues to support employers as well as learners.
The event has already created some exciting possibilities. Eight employers have expressed an interest in joining a new Community Employment Project planned for next year, bringing employers, MacIntyre and local communities together to create meaningful projects and opportunities. Further conversations are also taking place with employers in High Wycombe and Bedford, while businesses in other areas have offered venues for future employment network events.
A local special education provision has also offered to support MacIntyre with referrals, recognising the quality of the work opportunities and development available to learners.
And William’s own journey at Hills is continuing to develop too. Another MacIntyre learner will work alongside him next year, creating visual resources to help William build his understanding of his role and become more independent. They will also help with media and resources for outreach work in the Micklefield community.
It’s a fitting next chapter for William. Not long ago, he was talking about what he wanted from his own working life. Now he is returning to help other people see what might be possible for them.
William isn’t just opening doors for himself. He’s helping to hold them open for others.
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