When I Grow Up: facilitator's handbook

This handbook is designed to help teachers raise the aspirations and employment prospects of young people with learning disabilities.

Across the UK, fewer than 5.8% of people with a learning disability have a job and many of those who are employed only work part-time. Yet the vast majority of people tell us they want to work. This handbook was developed with schools and pupils and includes session plans and resources for 10 school workshops, along with some family workshops.

Session plans

You can download the following session plans and resources for each session individually. Otherwise, you can download the full handbook above.

Session 1: Starting to think about work

This session is aimed at starting a discussion about work and demonstrating to students that people with learning disabilities can and do find a job with the right support. It will also explain some of the benefits of having a job.

Download session 1

Session 2: Why do I want to work?

Continuing the discussion from the previous session, this session will consider why we go to work and the students will hear about other people's experiences of work.

Download session 2

Session 3: What makes a good life?

This session is designed to create a discussion about what life will be like after leaving school and considering all the things that are important to young adults and how having a job can help you achieve this.

Download session 3

Session 4: Employer expectations

In this session, students will be encouraged to develop an understanding that employers will have expectations about appropriate behaviour, appearance and attitude in the workplace.

Download session 4

Session 5: Will I be a good employee?

Students will have many things to offer employers - this session gets the students thinking about their qualities and assets that will be of interest to employers.

Download session 5

Session 6: Developing work preferences

Through exploring a range of jobs and workplaces, this session will allow students to think about what the kind of job they would like to do.

Download session 6

Session 7: Local business mapping

This session helps students get a better understanding of potential job opportunities in their local area. It also looks at the specific qualities that might be required for these jobs.

Download session 7

Session 8: My skills and qualities

The objective of session 8 is to help students to identify the qualities they possess and which they might put on their CV. Building on session 7, it aims to match those qualities by the ones sought by employers.

Download session 8

Session 9: My working future

This session offers a chance to reflect on the themes discussed in previous sessions, to complete the work profile and to create their own CV.

Download session 9

Session 10: Presentations

In this session, students will develop an employment-focused presentation, which they could give in a variety of settings.

Download session 10