Severnside Skills, Taurus Crafts
Severnside Skills is our new training centre for adults with learning disabilities and autism at Taurus Crafts in Gloucestershire. We’ll be offering recognised training, through the AQA Unit Award Scheme, which people can work through at their own pace, to gain accredited qualifications in retail and catering skills.
Learners will be able to formally recognise their achievements with a certificate when each short learning unit is completed.
‘I used to work at a supermarket,’ says Chris, a member of the team at Taurus Crafts Café. ‘But there wasn’t anyone else there with a disability and no-one understood. They weren’t interested in helping. I left in the end.’
Like Chris, many of our community members would love to have a paid job. But finding the right training and suitable work experience isn’t easy. That’s why this new venture at Taurus Crafts is so exciting.
Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’re refurbishing a building at Taurus Crafts into a new training kitchen. Work is due to be completed by the end of this year, and going forward we’ll be able to support up to 40 people per year gaining the skills and experience they need for work.
Meanwhile, the first trainees are already working in our existing kitchen facilities, and are making great progress. It makes a difference to learn with staff who are experienced at adapting training for people who need extra support. Esther, who has been attending cookery classes, says:
‘Our teacher Amanda is great – she’s friendly and helpful. We work in small groups so she can help me one-to-one if something is difficult. I’m not sure I’d get the same support in college.’
