Are young adults with special needs and autism overlooked in nursery teams?

As nursery recruiters, it's our job to search high and low for great nursery practitioners. We believe in the potential of every individual and believe that nurseries thrive best with as much and as wide a talent pool as possible. So we were excited to recently meet Project Search, an organisation dedicated to supporting young people aged 18-24 with autism and/or special needs in finding meaningful employment.

Unlocking untapped potential

Our founder, Nick Breeze, had the chance to attend an employer event at the Pioneer Higher Skills Centre in Dewsbury, where Project Search were showcasing their work. The event brought together enthusiastic young individuals and forward-thinking employers, including representatives from the NHS, local government and private employers.

Working with young adults with extra needs or autism takes a little more upfront effort, but we were impressed by several takeaways:

They are tenacious, thriving on detail and staying committed to projects until completion.
They consistently deliver high-quality work to exacting standards.
They tend to be loyal and are likely to stay in their roles for longer durations.
They exhibit greater punctuality and have higher attendance rates with lower sickness absence.

We met Project Search program graduates working in roles as diverse as IT, admin and care roles - all charming, enthusiastic young people who take pride in their achievements and are eager to share their stories.

How does this work in practice?

Project Search have an enthusiastic, driven team who work with employers to match their requirements to candidates. They coach and prep suitable candidates, and then arrange 3-stage internships so that the candidate can get a solid grounding, ready for employment.

A gap in representation

While Nick had the opportunity to engage with employers from various sectors, one observation stood out - there was a gap in representation from the nursery and education sector. With our industry so struggling for candidates, we think this is an oversight.

With that in mind we're exploring ways to work with Project Search and introduce nurseries keen to make a difference to local young people, but just as importantly, to their recruitment and retention plans.

Nurseries - help us help you empower young adults - it's win win win

We're looking for partner nurseries who would be interested in taking on a young adult as part of a rotation training plan. You might find a future long service award winner amongst the in take.

For more information and to explore the opportunities, please contact:

Nexter Director Nick Breeze on 0113 328 0668, or
Project Search Programme Lead Suzanne Kidd directly on 07356 121 091

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