Young people with additional support needs in the Falkirk area who are on the hunt to find a job with the help of DFN Project SEARCH – have graduated from their one year internship programme at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

A partnership between Forth Valley College, Falkirk Council Employment and Training Unit, Serco, NHS Forth Valley and Skills Development Scotland – David Forbes Nixon (DFN) Project SEARCH supports young people with learning difficulties to gain skills and experience aimed at helping them move into sustainable employment. The DFN Charitable Foundation, is a UK registered charity established in 2014 by David Forbes Nixon with the express aim of promoting programmes such as this one.

Based at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, the group of six young interns aged between 18-24, Craig Cook, Max Jacewicz, Maria Thomson, David Drennan, John Alton and Dylan Craig, began their course in August 2023 and graduated on Wednesday 30 October 2024 at the hospital.

Janie Brown, Falkirk Council’s Principal Officer at the Employment and Training Unit, Sarah McCulley, Falkirk Council’s Service Manager, Mark O’Hear, Serco’s Contract Director and Helen Leslie Forth Valley College’s Director of Curriculum for the Department of Care, Sport, Business and Communities, all spoke at the event and former FVC Operations Manager Jackie Innes and Lecturer Alan Ritchie who were involved in the creation of Project SEARCH, presented the graduation certificates on the night.

Also in attendance were FVC Principal Kenny MacInnes, Leader of Falkirk Council Cecil Meiklejohn, Director of People at NHS Forth Valley Kevin Reith and Tony McLaughlin Regional Director of Serco.

And there was more good news when it was revealed at the graduation ceremony that of the seven who started the course, four of the graduates have progressed to employment (two with Serco), two have continued on their journey to gain further work experience and one has progressed onto a Modern Apprenticeship.

Throughout their year the interns have had experience in work placements across a range of job areas, all based within the hospital, from Monday to Friday 9am-4pm. These included: housekeeping; domestic services; catering, stores, portering and mail room. The interns have also completed food hygiene and manual handling certificates.

On-site, interns were assisted throughout by a college lecturer and a job coach – Alan Ritchie and Jean Allan – as well as hospital staff and supervisors. The programme helps interns to learn real job skills that will prepare them for work by rotating them through a variety of different work placement experiences. This work-based learning was then supported by classroom activities each day, as well as regular discussion and feedback from supervisors throughout the programme.

Craig Cook, said: “Project SEARCH was very engaging and helpful towards my career.”

Max Jacewicz, said: “Working here has been helpful in improving my confidence and I now know what it’s like in a real workplace. I’m looking forward to getting a job – thanks you all.”

Maria Thomson, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Serco and NHS staff. I have learned so much – thank you.”

David Drennan, said: “Project SEARCH was a great opportunity in the workplace and ultimately enabled me to have a job in the end.”

John Alton, said: “Working here has been helpful in improving my work skills and confidence. I am now ready to get a job – thank you.”

Dylan Craig, said: “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn both work skills and life skills that I will be able to use in the future.”

Kenny MacInnes, Principal of Forth Valley College, said: “We are delighted to see Project SEARCH go from strength to strength each year, and it is great to see this cohort of interns complete their year here at Forth Valley Royal Hospital and graduate from the programme. They have been a credit to themselves, the College, the hospital and all the partners who are represented at this event, and we wish them well as they progress towards finding employment armed with skills and experience gained from Project SEARCH.”

Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council, said: “The programme continues to help local young people with learning disabilities progress into sustainable, fair work. We have a strengthened commitment to help close the disability employment gap and I am delighted that we have now moved into our seventh year of delivery and that the partnership around our local young people remains so strong.”

Mark O’Hear, Serco’s Contract Director, said: “It gives me great pleasure to be part of such a wonderful programme. When other organisations are closing their doors working with Project Search, we have the chance to open ours and we at Serco Forth Valley Royal Hospital are delighted be able to do so.  Every year we have the great opportunity to welcome the interns into our team and we are in a better place when they leave us. To see them grow throughout the year is a joy and I hope they take as much from it as we do. We wish the full cohort the very best in their next adventures and one thing we are sure of is they will all be great!”

Kevin Reith, Director of People at NHS Forth Valley, said: “It’s great to see young people gaining confidence and skills through their work at Forth Valley Royal Hospital and I’m delighted that several of them have secured permanent jobs with our partners Serco.

” We are committed to supporting this important work experience project as part of our wider employability programme to encourage more people to consider a career in healthcare.”

Anyone wishing to find out more on the course should contact FVC on 01324 403000.