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24-year-old Ruben is autistic and has a mild learning disability. He joined the AFK Life and Work Programme in 2018; having worked as a cleaner for a few years after college, Ruben was ready for a career change. After getting help from the team to improve his resumé and set out his goals, he was ready to start honing his interview technique, approaching employers and bolstering his skill set.

The team arranged to record Ruben’s sessions, answering questions and then listening back to how he articulated himself. This enabled him to hear himself back and make adjustments such as slowing down with his speech and taking his time in explaining different aspects of his experience and how these would help him in the role. Whilst he had successfully progressed to the second interview on a couple of occasions, he had not yet been successful in securing a new position.

During the first lockdown in March 2020 Ruben was furloughed and subsequently made redundant. Not to be disheartened, Ruben applied for a number of retail roles, but he found the application process challenging due to the number of online tests before even being considered for an interview. His AFK Job Coach provided online support through each application and, not long after this, Ruben made a successful application to Waitrose. Reasonable adjustments were negotiated by the AFK team, meaning Ruben went straight through to an interview so he could concentrate on the details of his application. Within a week of being informed of his redundancy, he had been offered a new position working in a Waitrose fulfilment centre.

“I love it around the warehouse,” Ruben told us. “People are friendly, and dealing with deliveries and sorting the stock is the part of the day I enjoy the most. In 10 years, I hope I can be even more confident and take what I have learned with me, not only in work but with other life goals too!”

Through the use of innovative employment support practices such as these, our trainees are earning money, forming networks, and contributing to their communities, proving that when disabled young people are given a chance, and the right support, far more often than not they can do well.