My Employment Passport, winner of the CDI post-16 career programme of the year 2022, has been created by Richard Lamplough, who has a 28-year background in supporting young people with additional needs into paid employment.
The My Employment Passport Gold Offer puts education through inspiration at its heart through the innovative use of thirty different modules, using thirty different videos, many of these starring young autistic people and young people with learning disabilities who have paid jobs – ideal role models for the initiative.
The course can be run over an entire academic year or be spread over a number of years, depending on the age (14 - 25 is ideal) and support needs of the participants. There are three workbooks (ten sessions per book) and each session uses bespoke printed materials that the young people stick in their workbooks.
Activities are structured so those with relatively high support needs (often at entry levels 1, 2 and 3) and those with lower support needs (often at levels 1, 2 and 3) benefit on an equitable basis. The course is designed for schools, colleges, training organisations, voluntary sector organisations and day service providers. Facilitators are given clear, detailed, session plans, particularly useful for those with limited training delivery experience. They are also offered regular Zoom or Teams meetings to ensure the smooth running of the programme.
Participants are guided to identify which essential skills they are using and supported to reflect on their own strengths and areas for development. Workbooks give learners the opportunity to reflect during and after the programme to track where progress has been made.
Watch this video for an overview of the programme.