Pupils with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) from schools and colleges across Knowsley took part in a special Dragons’ Den event as part of the Meet the Employee programme.
The aim of the event was to help pupils gain an insight into the world of work and develop new skills which will support them post-education.
Knowsley Council partnered with QVC, based in Kirkby, who hosted the event and provided four judges for the panel.
Six groups of students, from Activate CES, Knowsley Community College, Bluebell Park and Alt Bridge, were tasked with creating a business idea to raise money for a chosen charity. The teams then pitched their ideas to a judging panel made up of representatives from QVC and Knowsley Council, who provided feedback and funds to help them get their business ventures off the ground.
Cllr David Lonegran, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, said: “This is a fantastic event that provides opportunities for young people with additional needs to learn more about the world of work.
“It was really inspiring for the pupils to have the chance to visit a large and well known employer such as QVC and I would like to thank them for hosting the event and taking part.”
Michael Dodd, Operational Vendor Compliance Senior Specialist at QVC, said: “We’ve been working with Knowsley Council to support with the Empowering Knowsley programmes for a number of years and it is something that all our staff are eager to be involved in.
“Ensuring that young people with additional needs have the opportunity to experience the world of work and develop crucial skills is something which is really important to us.”
The event is part of the wider Empowering Knowsley programme which helps to introduce young people in Knowsley with additional needs to the world of work. More information is available here.
Watch the video here.
The Meet Employer programme is supported by the Knowsley Local Youth Transformation Pilot. The pilot is part of an £8 million programme to support local authorities to deliver a high-quality out-of-school offer and will provide the tools, guidance and funding to assess, improve, and invest in impactful local youth offers and Knowsley is one of 12 local authorities taking part.