Talk Direct attend the Doncaster Deaf Trust College

Recently, Talk Direct were asked to attend the Doncaster Deaf Trust College to help their students by holding a series of mock interviews as part of an employability course they had been on. The idea was to put the students in a live interview situation to help them gain valuable experience before going for a potential first job.

The students we met were either deaf or had autism but were hugely determined to start their work career and not to let their disability hold them back. Being registered blind, I am full aware of the issues people can face in a work place so I was really happy to help them out.

Talk Directs' MD Linda Jones was on the interviews panel and after a brief from the college staff we quickly got underway. One of the first students we saw had moved to England from Poland in 2008 and was already suffering from hearing loss. She had not been able to learn any English due to her disability before arriving in England but incredibly learned how to speak fluent British sign language. She had also developed an incredible passion to work in the hair and beauty industry and has already gained work experience in a busy salon. It was easy to see with her determination she will reach her goal.

Another interview we did was for a student who was very keen to be a gardener. He was full of knowledge on the subject and had already spent time gaining valuable experience working on a local golf course. He was already growing several vegetables at home in his own time away from the college and his work ethic really did shine through. I’m sure once he has finished his course, he will prove invaluable to an employer in his chosen industry.

The last student we interviewed was a real inspiration and had overcome so many challenges already in life. She is not only suffering from hearing loss but also has cerebral palsy and was determined to carve a future for herself working in child care.  She had recently spent time in Africa volunteering in a village with other members from her school. She also had a book of poetry published about her life experiences. Despite her disability she gave a fantastic interview and will no doubt have a bright future in whatever she does. 

It was fantastic and a pleasure to be able to help the students gain a little experience of what a real job interview would actually be like. Once the students started to answer the questions you could see their confidence growing and their personality coming through. I know from personal experience that people with a disability just want a chance to prove their worth in employment and I hope everyone we met gets that chance.

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