Renishaw supports SEND students with interview skills

June 2024

To help special educational needs and disability (SEND) students in Gloucestershire, UK, access equal employment opportunities and develop skills for their future careers, engineering technologies company, Renishaw, assisted Gloucestershire Careers Hub with hosting interview days. Over 130 students from local SEND schools attended the two-day event, which involved practice job interviews.

According to an investigation into SEND in Gloucestershire conducted by Gloucestershire County Council, in 2022 there were over 17,000 pupils with SEND needs identified in Gloucestershire schools. Students with SEND often require more support in school environments due to common barriers to accessing opportunities, diverse learning needs and more. This is particularly true when students with SEND are transitioning from education to adult life to ensure they can learn independence and access employment opportunities in a way that meets their diverse needs. Councils can support these students as they enter higher education and the workplace by providing access to resources, raising awareness and fostering collaboration between educational settings and employers.

The recent two-day event organised by the Careers Hub, for example, hosted ten SEND schools and colleges from around Gloucestershire, with invitations sent to students to attend mock interviews with local businesses. As a significant employer in the area and supporter of the Gloucestershire Careers Hub, Renishaw supported the event, with employees acting as interviewers for the scheme, helping participants develop their interview skills in a low-pressure environment.

“Encouraging diversity in both the engineering industry and in our local area is vital to fostering creativity, driving innovation and supporting our local community,” explained Rebecca Bound, Early Careers STEM Outreach Manager at Renishaw. “By taking part in a range of activities, including contributing to practice interviews and hosting schools at our site, we hope to introduce students with SEND to the various opportunities in engineering and showcase how their abilities can be nurtured in a work environment.”

“We support our schools and colleges to prepare their young people for their best next step, whatever that may be,” explained Lauren Greening, Enterprise Coordinator at the Gloucestershire Careers Hub. “There are lots of hidden barriers for students with SEND as they enter the workplace, such as lack of flexibility from employers, unconscious bias formed by stereotypes and the focus on social skills in an interview that students with SEND may struggle with. This means students with SEND are often unable to access the same opportunities as other young people. Employers may be unaware of these barriers, so by including businesses in our efforts, we hope to overcome these issues and encourage more diversity.”

“Activities, such as the SEND practice interviews, help to enhance the transferable skills that students need for work and life, and also support our local employers to understand what young people with SEND needs can do and how they can be a valuable asset to a business,” continued Greening.

Through this programme, Renishaw is able to create accommodations within its application and employment processes to initiate change based on the feedback from schools and SEND students. Through doing so, Renishaw can assist Gloucestershire Careers Hub and other local businesses to increase accessibility and inclusion in their own recruitment practices. This scheme will then form a foundation to create change in the local area and improve county-wide opportunities for SEND students.

Renishaw is committed to improving diversity and inclusion for its future talent pipeline. As part of its growing commitment to this cause, Renishaw is also subsidising transport costs for SEND schools to attend the Cheltenham Science festival.

For further information on Renishaw's science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) outreach programme, visit www.renishaw.com/stem-outreach.

For further images, videos, company biographies or information on Renishaw and its products, visit our Media Hub.