A Doncaster business that joined forces with Aspire to Be to provide worthwhile employment opportunities has hosted a special visit from a group of clients from the service.
Six people who are currently working with Aspire to Be to enhance their skills and confidence and, ultimately, find paid work took part in a visit to GXO’s warehouse in Armthorpe where returns are processed for a major online fashion brand.
Callum Elcoat, Graham Mclellan, Cameron Cox, Jamie Jones, Logan Coulthread, and Bailey Manion, who all have various learning difficulties, have been taking part in Aspire to Be’s warehouse training programme to gain the skills and knowledge needed to do this type of work.
Part of this included a visit to a working warehouse so they could see how their training could be put into practice. They were able to look around the whole GXO site and discuss all aspects of working in this environment.
Neil Keeton, Aspire to Be’s employment liaison manager, said: “We have placed 12 people into employment with GXO at the Armthorpe site so they have been a fantastic company for us to work with providing jobs to our clients. When we approached them about organising a visit for current clients, they were more than happy to support us.
“The clients were able to see the size of the site and get a feel of a warehouse and the working environment, they were also able to find out about shift patterns, the inhouse training and recruitment processes.
“Providing specialist training and support and having employers like GXO on board shows value and purpose for the work that Aspire to Be does. Support from businesses allow training to be in line with industry standards, and also means Aspire to Be can continue to deliver training to a high standard now and in the future. In addition, businesses become more productive with a diverse workforce.”
Michael Jones, training manager at GXO Armthorpe, Doncaster, said: “I learnt about Aspire to Be through a meeting and was introduced to Neil from the service which allowed me to better understand how we, as a company, could create opportunities to work with people who have learning disabilities and other communication difficulties.
“Having projects like Aspire to Be shows the many capabilities that clients have as everyone deserves a chance of employment.
“By working together our Aspire to Be recruits have settled in and become valued members of our workforce. We are very proud to be an inclusive employer and they bring such a lot to our organisation.
“The skills and knowledge the Aspire to Be team has of their clients has helped us adapt to different situations and how they have incorporated our training into their learning truly shows commitment.
“We would encourage more employers to link with Aspire to Be and gain from the knowledge and support they offer. My advice is do not over think or be scared of the unknown, having a diverse workforce is so beneficial and brings communities together.”
One of the clients who visited GXO was 20-year-old Logan Coulthread from Doncaster who has Asperges. Logan said: “I have really enjoyed the training Aspire to Be provided, it was very relaxed and units were broken down to make it easier to understand. Going on the GXO warehouse visit allowed me to demonstrate what I had learned and gave me a better understanding of picking and packing and moving and handling.
“The visit was great as I was able to understand expectations which I would have found difficult had it not been for the support of Aspire to Be’s team and to see it all in real time.”
If you are a business and what to find out more about Aspire to Be, please contact neil.keeton@cscd.ac.uk