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YPO and Wakefield College SEND Work-Experience

Blog
Grace Bamforth
15 Jun 2026

In 2021, YPO and Wakefield College launched a work experience programme for young adults with learning disabilities or additional educational needs. Since then, the partnership has welcomed many students, offering many of them their first workplace experience.

This opportunity began with two students, Antony and Jasmin, and quickly grew into a life-changing experience for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) learners – helping them build confidence, develop workplace skills, and navigate real-world recruitment processes.

For many young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), accessing meaningful employment can be challenging. Traditional recruitment routes often present barriers, and research shows that SEND learners have historically struggled to secure work experience opportunities that help them build confidence and workplace skills. This programme helps address those challenges by offering accessible, supportive placements within YPO’s warehouse environment.

Warehouse Manager, Ian Maw, was first approached five years ago by Wakefield College in partnership with the Heart of Yorkshire Group.

Students join the YPO warehouse one day per week for 4–5 hours over a six‑week period, gaining valuable insight into the workplace and the recruitment process while developing essential skills, independence, and confidence.

How YPO supports

Each student is assigned both a job coach from Wakefield College and a workplace mentor led by Phil Green, who supports the student's personal development and wellbeing.

Phil is the driving force of this scheme and is extremely passionate about supporting the students. He adapts to each person's special educational needs and disability to ensure they have a meaningful work experience and the support they need to develop.

This includes working with students who have moderate learning disabilities and developmental delays to severe learning disabilities, Autism, ADHD, hearing impairments, or emotional and mental health challenges.

Overcoming barriers

To ensure this opportunity is accessible to as many SEND learners as possible, Phil worked with Wakefield College to remove the requirement for Maths and English GCSEs. This adjustment opened the programme to a wider group of students who may otherwise have been excluded.

YPO staff and Wakefield College have also introduced a range of reasonable adjustments tailored to each student. These include breaking down tasks, repeating instructions, providing prompts to stay on task, checking understanding, and offering regular positive reinforcement to build confidence and support progression.

Success Stories

Each student must apply for their role through an expression of interest letter outlining their skill set and what they could offer YPO, further reflecting the real-world experience of gaining meaningful employment.

After successfully completing an interview, each student is given the opportunity to focus on an area of interest within logistics to ensure they get the maximum benefit from their placement.

With YPO’s support, students have explored a variety of roles across the business. Two SEND learners, Matthew and Bruce, have progressed into full-time employment at YPO, working in the warehouse and on the Warehouse Industrial Cleaning Team. Two other SEND learners, Jake and Jinny, have returned to the warehouse to support YPO during the peak summer season.

Others have secured employment elsewhere, including roles in warehouses, restaurants, care settings, and apprenticeships - evidence of the work experience programme’s lasting impact on confidence and career readiness.

Phil Green, YPO’s Warehouse Operative and part of YPO Unison, said: “I am proud to be a part of such a life-changing scheme for SEND learners.

“This scheme is truly rewarding, seeing the SEND learners develop from first coming into YPO to securing full-time employment due to the training we provide them here at YPO.”

Jen Zaman, Heart of Yorkshire Education Group Job Coach, said: “It is great to see organisations like YPO offer this work experience opportunity to SEND learners.

“We value our working relationship with YPO and the life-changing opportunities it has given our students, which has successfully boosted their life skills and confidence in the workplace to secure future employment after education.”

YPO, Wakefield College and YPO Unison continue to work collaboratively to support current students on work placements and to develop innovative ways to further expand the programme.

Grace Bamforth

Author

Grace Bamforth

PR and Communications Officer

YPO

Grace is a PR and Communications Officer, responsible for assisting in internal communications, PR and public affairs across the organisation. Grace manages stakeholder engagement and crafts content for diverse audiences. She supports corporate communications initiatives, including strategic partnerships, sponsorships, events and awards, ensuring YPO’s reputation and relationships remain strong.