WLC Hosts Ealing Progression & Pathways Conference

Local leaders and employers met last week on 22 June 2023 for the Progression and Pathways Conference to ensure every student in the borough of Ealing has a clear path to education, training and employment. Hosted at Ealing Green College, over thirty experienced professionals discussed employer inclusivity, SEND provision, apprenticeships, careers support, FE college provision, T-Levels and post-16 options.

Opening the conference, Julie Lewis, Ealing Director of Learning Standards and Schools Partnerships, posed the question: “How well are we serving our additional needs children from early years to post-16 to work?”

Recognising Ealing schools came top in the country for Progress 8 scores in 2019 and 2022, Julie also said: “There are gaps in attainment for children from Caribbean, dual heritage white and Caribbean, and Somali backgrounds,” and described plans to address this.

Sajada Sajid, Assistant Principal described West London College’s Bridge to Supported Internships programmes. Sajada said: “Bridge to Supported Internships prepare students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to progress onto Supported Internships.”

Someone who undertook the Bridge to Supported Internships programme is currently a University of West London Supported Intern, Ibrahim Mohamed, who is hearing impaired. Ibrahim told the conference his long-term objective is to become a football coach.

Fellow former Supported Intern and Inclusive Apprentice, now Teaching Assistant, AoD Job Coach, and a host at Nando’s, Will Goold described his journey to employment.

High Speed 2 (HS2) Legacy Manager Ambrose Quashie said he’d come along “to demonstrate HS2’s commitment to supporting diversity and inclusion within its workforce.”

HS2 have been working with various SEND schools in Ealing offering employability support and site visits. Ambrose said: “In the future, we aim to deepen our involvement in offering employment opportunities to young people with SEND.”

“West London College works hard to progress inclusive learning students to foundation learning and on to mainstream courses, wherever possible,” added Deputy Principal James Taylor.

As well as 300 inclusive learners, West London College also has sixty Year 11 students in a dedicated Key Stage 4 unit within Southall Community College.

Conference organiser, Corinne Gill, said: “Many students apply to study post-16 at their school sixth forms, but a percentage of these learners won’t achieve the GCSE results they need.” Acknowledging this was a complex issue which involved working closely with young people and their parents, delegates were urged: “We can inform young people about the other opportunities in education and apprenticeships now, while they are still at school to support progression in Ealing.”