Joseph Clarke School – Construction of a New Training Cafe

The Trust proposes to redevelop the site opposite Joseph Clarke School to become a not-for-profit Training Café run by its pupils, all of whom have special educational needs. The Training Café will bring learners to the heart of the local community and provide true work experience for them. The community will gain a valuable resource. . It is recognised that less than a quarter of people with learning disabilities are in employment. Only 1 in 10 people with poor functional vision is in paid employment. Research has shown that Government schemes fail to place blind and partially sighted people in work and that training and employment opportunities for those furthest from the labour market are dwindling . The proposed Training Café will provide opportunities for young people to initiate and maintain conversations, follow food hygiene procedures, deal with customers, take payments, follow instructions, work as a team and observe how they can become a key part of a functioning business. The outcomes of this project will be for some young people to move on to a further course in catering and hospitality. Some may move directly to employment within the sector. Other young people will have developed greater skills and confidence in interacting with people outside their immediate community. This will help them to get their needs met as they move towards greater independence in life.