Ductu, 12 Payton Street, Birmingham (2026)

12/05/2026

🌟DUCTU supports Mental Health Awareness Week 2026🌟

Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET) face significantly higher risks of poor mental health, often driven by social isolation, lack of tailored support and feelings of being "different".

High Incidence of Mental Ill-Health:
Young people with SEND are more likely to experience mental health difficulties than their peers. About 56% of young people with SEND report experiencing poor mental health in a given year, compared to 44% of their peers. Those not in employment are particularly vulnerable due to a lack of structure and social interaction.

🧐 HOW CAN WE HELP?

Increased and Improved Employment Support:
🌟 Focused, tailored support to help young people with SEND transition into, and stay in, employment, as it is directly linked to better self-esteem and reduced mental health struggles.
🏫 This begins at school.
🧑‍💼👷‍♂️Meaningful interactions with employers and experiences of inclusive workplaces are essential to enable SEND students to visualise their lives beyond the classroom and in the world of work.

06/05/2026

🗓️ The first week of May marks Deaf Awareness Week, a time focused on promoting positive aspects of deafness, social inclusion, and breaking down communication barriers.

This year's theme is "Beyond Silence." It highlights Deaf culture, education on hearing loss, and rights for the deaf/hard-of-hearing community.

🤔 What can your place of work, small or large business or education setting do to show your support?

✅ Advocacy & Awareness: Raising awareness of communication needs, advocating for better access to sign language interpreters, and promoting inclusive workspaces.

✅ Actionable Activities: Encouraging the learning of basic British Sign Language in the workplace.

✅ Workplace Inclusion: Hosting awareness sessions, workshops on deaf inclusion, and utilising online deaf awareness courses.

Ductu have had the pleasure of arranging inclusive workplace visits for deaf students and have been thrilled to hear that the businesses involved are providing sign language learning opportunities for their staff.

30/04/2026

These key statistics highlight how vital our work at Ductu is. Providing opportunities for SEND students to experience meaningful encounters with employers is essential to improve their chances of employability as adults.

Learning Disabilities:
💰Only 4.8% of adults with a learning disability known to social care were in paid work in 2021/22, down from 6% in 2014/15.

Autistic Adults:
🚪Research highlights only 3 in 10 (approx. 30%) autistic adults of working age are in employment, falling to 15% for full-time employment.

Gender Split:
👥 A slightly higher proportion of men with a learning disability are employed (5.3%) compared to women (4.1%).

Underemployment:
🕰️ Most working adults with learning disabilities (68.3%) work fewer than 16 hours per week.

28/04/2026

A big thank you to the employers who are opening their doors to young people right now 👏

Workplace visits might only last 2 hours — but the impact on students can last a lifetime.

For many of the young people we support at Ductuportal, this is their first ever experience of a real workplace.

They leave with:
✔️ Greater confidence
✔️ Better understanding of careers
✔️ Higher aspirations for their future

And for employers?
You’re not just giving back — you’re helping shape a more inclusive, diverse future workforce.

If more organisations took this small step, the impact would be huge.

21/04/2026

👋 Meet Sarah Jones - Marketing Manager at Ductu.

👩‍🎓"As a full-time Primary School teacher for 29 years, I know first-hand how important it is for pupils to engage with careers education, even from a young age.

📋 Research shows that:
'by the age of six, children begin forming aspirations, but many adopt limiting stereotypes based on gender, ethnicity, or background. By age nine, some have already started letting go of their biggest dreams.' -Start Small; Dream Big

💭 Now think about how this would be for a SEND child - with additional barriers and limitations.

🌟I am extremely proud to work for a company like Ductu, helping young people with SEND to have experiences of the workplace.

🚪 As our network continues to grow, I hope many employers will open their doors to these often overlooked, but key members of the future workforce."

15/04/2026

Inspiring the next generation at Places Leisure 💙

We were delighted to support a recent visit from Braidwood School for the Deaf to Places Leisure, West Bromwich.

Students explored the facilities, used the gym, and met staff to learn about different career pathways within the leisure sector. The visit helped build confidence and gave students a greater understanding of the opportunities available to them.

Even more importantly, it sparked valuable conversations around accessibility and inclusion, with both students and staff learning from each other.

We’re excited that this is just the beginning of a longer-term partnership, including future visits and sign language learning opportunities for staff.

13/04/2026

👋Meet the Team - Seren Robb - Admin

📋'Hi I’m Seren, I am responsible for admin tasks at Ductu, part of my job involves adding the visits that we offer to schools to our portal. I think our work is very important and gives students the valuable opportunity to meet with employers and learn about their roles, which can help inspire students and develop their confidence relating to the workplace.

🌟I love working for this company because I feel it’s making a real difference and helping young people to expand their horizons and take part in opportunities they may not have been able to otherwise. Seeing the feedback from schools after a visit that has gone well is very rewarding.

🎉As someone who is neurodivergent, I know how challenging the job market can be, the work that Ductu does is extremely valuable for schools and employers alike. I believe that the work that we do will contribute positively to the future of the students who participate in the visits that we organise.’

10/04/2026

👋 Meet the Team - Emma Reid - Employer Engagement Team Leader

🌟'I am lucky enough to be able to source a large portion of the work place visits students attend via Ductu, as well as maintaining relationships with our schools.

💬 I speak with a multitude of fantastic employers, which allows me to provide the students we support with a variety of exciting, invaluable interactions. As well as supporting schools with attending their visits.

👍 The thing I love most about my role, is knowing the impact we are able to make on young people's lives, such as seeing the positive impact this has on their future employment opportunities and seeing the confidence that flourishes for them when attending.'

03/04/2026

Ductu visit to Miller and Carter, Fleet

🍽️ "We had our first Ductu visit yesterday from Alderwood School."

🥩 "They thoroughly enjoyed their morning with us! We did recycling activities, laying tables, guess the steak cut, cocktail shaking (with water) and a few other hands-on experiences."🍹

👏 As always, a huge thanks to the employees, staff and students for contributing to another great visit.

01/04/2026

👋Meet the Team - Julie Harries - National employer manager

⭐Julie has over 20 years of experience in project management, service delivery, and developing impactful programs, particularly in the areas of apprenticeships and education for individuals with learning disabilities.

💪Her experience perfectly aligns with Ductu’s mission to empower and support children and young people with additional needs, helping them thrive in both educational and employment settings.

🌟Some key highlights from Julie’s career include:

* Leading the Apprenticeships to ensure the levy was spent with no expired funds.
* Being a valued member of a college curriculum and skills board.
* Delivering large-scale programmes that promote inclusion, skill development, and employment opportunities for young people with autism and learning disabilities.
* Being instrumental in driving initiatives that support diversity and inclusion within organisations, including leading the Disability Confident Employer initiative.

⭐Julie’s dedication to creating opportunities for young people and her extensive experience in managing government-funded projects make her an integral part of our team as we continue to expand and enhance our programs.

27/03/2026

⭐️Feedback Friday⭐️

Students from Spring School had a fantastic workplace visit at Tooting Leisure Centre.

A huge thank you to all of the staff and students involved.

If your organisation would like to support inclusive workplace visits, or if you are a school looking to get involved, we would love to hear from you.

🌐 http://www.ductu.co.uk
📩 Get in touch to learn more

Ductu

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