Supported Employment
At Beresford Street Kitchen we believe in providing quality education, training and employment opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism to enable them to reach their full potential. We do this through a series of supported employment programs with progression opportunities.
We are happy to accept application forms at any time but there is currently a waiting list in all areas.
Pathway
We run a fully supported work experience programme called Pathway. Pathway members learn by doing real workplace tasks. The Pathway approach is to enable people to gain skills in a calm, supported environment where they will try out different things and find out what area best suits them. This program is aimed at people with learning disabilities and autism who would like to go into a workplace but who are not ready for mainstream employment. Pathway members are classed as volunteers.
We aim to help people develop confidence and self-esteem and support Pathway members to progress on to our supported
traineeships and apprenticeships where appropriate.
Traineeship
The Beresford Street Kitchen Traineeships provide supported training in a work-based environment. Our trainees learn the basics of catering, hospitality and retail or printing and production as well as important skills for work. These include how to present yourself at work, timekeeping, teamwork and speaking to customers, if applicable.
Trainees work for 15 hours a week over 3 days. Trainees are classed as volunteers and receive an honorarium of £10 per day.
The Traineeships give people with learning disabilities and autism the opportunity to try out various roles in a busy café or in our behind the scenes printing and production workshop and learn what is expected in the workplace. Trainees can progress on to our Apprenticeship scheme where appropriate.
Apprenticeship
The Beresford Street Kitchen Apprenticeship scheme is open to people with learning disabilities. The approach is to learn through doing at work and also through training in alliance with Highlands College and other training providers.
Our apprentices will train in a variety of catering, hospitality and retail functions including front of house, barista skills, sandwich and salad making, baking and customer service or printing, production and computer skills. Our classroom-based courses are disability friendly and use a wide range of multi-media and learning buddies.
The apprenticeships are between 12-24 months long, depending on the individual. All the way through the programme apprentices have a clear development path and a dedicated support worker who will talk about and help plan goals for the future.
Apprentices are Beresford Street Kitchen employees and will have a formal employment contract and be paid the Jersey Trainee Rate. During the apprenticeship, we will work hard to provide work experience in other workplace settings and support in finding paid employment at the end of the apprenticeship.