This was originally published on Muscular Dystrophy UK’s website on May 21, 2018.
On May 19th and 20th the Moving Up team held the first Employability Weekend for young disabled people. It took place in Archway and included a fully funded night in the Premier Inn. The weekend was packed with sessions such as Careers Development from PUSH, Networking Skills from Amnesty International and CV Consultations from HSBC.
Emma Vogelmann and Isabel Baylis from Moving Up were able give the attendees advice on the entire job searching process from application to interview with a disability. With tailored sessions to young disabled people the weekend provided answers for questions that many other careers sessions do not cover.
Each attendee came with a unique background and career ambitions – a law student who didn’t know what they wanted to do for a career, an administrator who wanted advice on how to work for the Ministry of Defence and an accountant with a passion for comedy! The weekend made each attendee feel equipped and confident to enter the working world.
One attendee said:
I feel like I put up barriers for myself which has prevented me from doing what I want to do. Confidence was also a big issue for me but now I feel inspired to put myself out there more!
Employability Officer Emma Vogelmann said:
I am so pleased with how the first Employability Weekend went! We had fantastic speakers so no matter what stage you were at with your employment journey you could really benefit from attending. All the young people who came told me they feel more confident to find work and be proud of their achievements, which is exactly what we wanted!