Employers

To enable our young people to develop a wide range of valuable skills, we have developed a number of partnerships with key employers across Oldham and Greater Manchester. Some of the placements currently on offer to our young people include roles within:

Premier Inn Hotels
Cleanplate Cafe
Private Day Nurseries and Primary Schools (class support roles)
Oldham Library
The Atrium Café
AVRO Football Club
Plastics Direct
David Lloyd Leisure Clubs
Manchester Metropolitan University (roles including shop assistant/porter/post room/print services)

We are continually creating new links with businesses which allow us to match interns with roles that meet their individual interests and needs. There are many ways that you can help us, including:

Work experience placements – we are looking for employers to host work experience placements for young people aged 14 to 19 for 2-3 hours per week for a group of 3 students who will be supported by a job coach. Currently, work experience placements are offered at local charity shops and cafés.
Pre Internship placements – these are placements for approximately 12-14 hours per week and are usually with a larger employer that can accommodate 3-4 young people who will be supported by a job coach. Currently, these types of placements are offered by David Lloyd Gym, Middleton, The RSPCA Shelter, Oldham and The Atrium Café, Oldham.
Bridging the Gap – this model is where up to 6 students are based with an employer for a full year and participate in 3 different 12 week placements across departments within that business. The employer provides a classroom space within their premises and the students are supported by two job coaches. We currently host Bridging the Gap projects at the Royal Oldham Hospital and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Future Finders – these are full time internship courses for young adults aged 19-25 who are looking to move into the world of work. Businesses should be able to offer a placement for up to 16 hours per week for one or two students. Many employers then offer employment opportunities to these students, should a role come up that their student is appropriate for.
Working interviews – do you have a role available that might be suitable for one of our students? If so, we can meet with you to discuss a working interview, whereby an applicant is given a trial rather than a formal interview. This is a great way for employers to assess an applicant’s skills and suitability before formally offering them a contract.
Employer encounters – we are also looking for employers who could host one-off tours of their business to some of our students for them to find out more about your industry sector. You may also be willing to come into one of our schools to talk about your role and your company!

If you are an employer looking to find out more, please download a copy of our Employer Guide here.

We are happy to talk to you in person about any of the above opportunities. We hope that our students will provide valuable assistance within your place of work and prove to be a help, not a hindrance! All of our partner employers have had fantastic experiences when working with us and many have gone on to promote our projects to other employers. We value our employer partnerships and are also happy to support you in other ways by providing appropriate training to your staff. This could include ‘Disability Awareness’ training for all staff or more specific training as required.

Don’t just take our word for it though – the manager of our newest placement provider, The Clean Plate Kitchen, sums up what our young people have brought to her business:

We have two students doing work experience with us at the moment. They are both fantastic and lovely to work alongside. Watching a young person grow in confidence and settle into their role within your business is so rewarding. The staff at New Bridge are really well organised, approachable and always on hand to offer support. If you have a business and are considering providing a placement opportunity for a young person please do.

If you would like to find out more about how our interns can benefit your business while learning valuable skills, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Maria Statham, our Work Placement Co-ordinator, by email to mstatham@newbridgegroup.org or on telephone number 0161 883 2403 or get in touch here.