Student Benjamin Richardson has been named Supported Intern of the Year at the awards, after impressing with his ‘dedication and professionalism’.
For the past year, gifted Benjamin,19, completed a Supported Internship programme with Sodexo at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, which aims to link school leavers who have additional needs with local employment chances and prepare them for their future career.
Benjamin, who is from Buckinghamshire and has autism worked as an administrator in the hospital, and was nominated by Christie Lavery, the Supported Employment Manager at Stony Dean School,
Writing her nomination, Christie said: of Benjamin: “He is the ultimate professional at work, always polite with outstanding personal appearance. His organisational skills are those that many of us would only aspire to.
“New skills were quickly learnt and developed resulting in Benjamin becoming an efficient minute taker at the Sodexo Managers Meetings as well as re-designing the filing system in the office and being fully immersed with the administration team.
“Benjamin never ceases to impress me. His work ethic and dedication to the course has been inspirational.
“Benjamin is an inspiration to young people with additional needs. During his year he has become a SEND Ambassador, a voluntary role to ensure that local government services and provision meet the needs of local young people with SEND.
“With the right champions, Benjamin has proved that young adults with an additional need can be successful in the learning environment and workplace.”
More information about the Buckinghamshire Adult Learning Awards can be found here https://www.adultlearningbc.ac.uk/adult-learning-awards-2022/