Employ My Ability

20/11/2025

Brilliant news for EMA student Jake - last weekend he competed in the British Down Syndrome Swimming British Championships in Crawley and is celebrating medals and new personal bests, including GOLD in his age group for 25m Backstroke!)

🏊‍♀️Jake achieved personal bests (PBs) in ALL of his 4 races!
🥇25m backstroke - He won the overall age group gold medal for GB.
✅50m freestyle - An enormous PB, shaving 17.96 seconds off his entry time.
✅50m backstroke - Again an enormous PB, shaving 11.58 off his entry time.
✅25m freestyle - He received a speeding ticket as he was quicker than the cut-off qualifying time - again something to celebrate!

🗣"I've been training hard and swimming lots before the event. It was a really good day with lots of people from all over the country and other countries. I feel proud!" - Jake

🗣Kate Allen, Committee member and event organiser of the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships shared a few words. "Down Syndrome Swimming GB (DSS-GB) have made a commitment to provide opportunities for swimmers with Down syndrome of all abilities to take part in a national swimming competition.

We are very proud to host the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships which celebrates and showcases the achievements of athletes with Down syndrome from across Great Britain. In its fourth year, the British Championships have secured their place in the annual disability sporting calendar."

👏We love to celebrate the achievements of our students inside and outside of college - a huge well done to Jake!

19/11/2025

Job: Work Experience & Next Steps Coordinator, Full-Time, Moreton (near Dorchester)

We’re looking for a committed and enthusiastic Work Experience & Next Steps Coordinator to join our friendly team in Moreton. In this role, you’ll support students with special educational needs and disabilities as they explore their strengths, develop essential employability skills, and experience meaningful work placements both on-site and with local employers across Dorset.

Full job details and an application form can be found on our website:
https://employmyability.org.uk/work-experience-next-steps-coordinator-full-time/

Job Ref: 1076MOR Become part of EMA and our team of dedicated professionals who are driven to support young people with SEND find their futures. Plus, if you’re looking to further your own career, we can offer more than a rewarding job role, this position comes with the opportunity for accredited ...

19/11/2025

Job: Learning Support Worker – Moreton, near Dorchester – Full-Time (Term Time Only)

As EMA continues to grow, we’re excited to welcome new team members who want to make a real difference in the lives of young people with SEND. If you’re caring, professional, and keen to help students grow in confidence and reach their potential, we’d love to hear from you.

Full job details and application form can be found on our website:
https://employmyability.org.uk/learning-support-worker-moreton-near-dorchester-full-time-term-time-only/

Job Ref: 1069MOR Join Our Team of Learning Support Workers here in the Dorset countryside! At EMA, our Learning Support Workers are at the heart of everything we do. As our service continues to grow, we’re excited to welcome new team members who want to make a real difference in the lives of young...

18/11/2025

📣EMA is proud to be taking part in awareness week this December, running from 1st–5th. We’ll be celebrating the achievements of those who attend EMA, the hard work of our staff, and demonstrating to policymakers and decision-makers just how important these environments are in enabling positive futures for young people.

In the lead-up to, and throughout, the awareness week, we’ll be highlighting a number of stories and the steps we’ve taken to show those who can help drive support for specialist FE, the impact that working together has on enabling positive outcomes for individuals and the communities they’re part of.

Natspec | Dorset Council

15/11/2025

📣Just one month to go until our third annual Provider Access Event!

🤝We're being joined by a diverse range of service providers (more TBC!) in education and next steps for young people with SEND from Dorset and beyond.

Parents, carers, and schools are welcome.

For more information, visit our website.

Dorset Council | BCP Council

14/11/2025

JOB: Animal Care Technician – Maternity Cover – Fixed Term for 12 months

We're looking for an Animal Care Technician to join our team at The Walled Garden Moreton to help care for a variety of animals while supporting young people with SEND to gain hands-on skills and confidence.

For full job details and application form, please visit our website.
🔗https://employmyability.org.uk/animal-care-technician-maternity-cover/

12/11/2025

🌳 Supported Internships at EMA are designed for young people aged 16–24 with an EHCP who are ready to take their next step towards employment.

We’re proud to partner with prominent employers - including Greene King, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and Dorset Community Action to offer meaningful, supported opportunities in the workplace.

Through hands-on work placements and tailored learning, our interns gain real experience, build confidence, and develop the skills they need to move into paid work.
With guidance from EMA’s job coaches and tutors, every intern is supported to achieve their goals, grow in independence, and prepare for a successful future in the industry they want.

With a rolling intake, applications are open now, so get in touch to find out more about how a supported internship can help you find your future.

|Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust | Dorset Community Action

07/11/2025

🌳Read Taryn's story - from education, to independence, and employment.

🔗https://employmyability.org.uk/taryns-journey/

Taryn's journey is a prime example of how education, supported living, and meaningful employment can come together in helping young adults develop confidence, independence, and a strong sense of purpose. From a shy student in 2019 to becoming a capable, self-reliant young adult with a thriving career and independent lifestyle, Taryn’s story is one of true success - both for him and for everyone who has supported him along the way, and we're proud to share it.

EMA Social Care | GreenCare | Dorset Community Action

04/11/2025

Pop-Up Cafés – bringing skills and people together!

👩‍🍳 The hospitality training space at EMA in Gillingham is equipped with all the front-of-house and kitchen facilities students need. We’ve adapted the kitchen to better support teaching, including the addition of a central island for group work and a new shelving area to make ingredients more accessible. More recently, we’ve widened the doorways to accommodate wheelchair users and installed an adjustable-height worktop in the kitchen.

🍽 Every week at Gillingham, the campus hosts a pop-up café lunch planned and delivered by the students, giving them the opportunity to build confidence and showcase their skills in an event-style setting.

🗣 “The pop-up cafés are such an integral part of the week at Gillingham because everyone - not just the education team, but all the staff on site - is invited to come together for a communal lunch. The students help lay the tables and manage front of house, along with all the planning, shopping, prep, and cooking for the lunch itself. It’s a multi-faceted way for the young people to develop their skills, while also maintaining the community feeling of EMA. We have such a wonderful time in here, it’s been a huge benefit to us all as professionals, and for the learners to have this dedicated space, which we continue to adapt to suit their needs.” – Natalie, EMA Tutor

✅Student Ben recently hit some goals in pop-up café, independently washing his hands before moving on to mixing ingredients and preparing scones in the kitchen with staff support. He demonstrated good hygiene practices and maintained focus throughout each task. This is just one example of the many small, achievable outcomes made possible by an environment like the hospitality training space.

We’re proud of the developments we’ve made at Gillingham - and even more proud of the opportunities they’re creating for our students. Read more on our website, or, if you’d like to see for yourself, tours and taster sessions are available all year round, giving families the chance to experience first-hand how EMA supports young people in their next steps. 😃

31/10/2025

👨‍🍳From Education to Employment!

🎓Felix graduated from EMA this past July, and during his time with us he made a real impact with his impressive cooking skills. He was often involved in college events such as Christmas lunches and Graduation BBQs, consistently wowing us all with his dishes and professionalism.

🗣"Felix was on the Hospitality programme when I joined EMA and I very quickly spotted his talents. Once we were all set-up with the CTH in September 2024, he started the Level 2 Certificate in Culinary Skills and completed it in February of this year. He was awarded his certificate with all his practical elements gaining a Merit. He then moved straight on to the Level 3 Certificate in Professional Cookery, and completed this level in July and has just been awarded his certificate again with Merits across the board!" - Claire, Hospitality Tutor

After completing his exams, Felix continued to pursue his goal of working in a hospitality role, and straight from college landed a job at The Pig in Brockenhurst where he's been enjoying great success, and the latest news we’re very happy to share is that he has recently been offered a new position at The Limewood Hotel!

🗣“My time at EMA helped me build my confidence and discover a passion for culinary arts. The skills and experiences I gained there have prepared me to take on my new role at The Limewood Hotel and continue developing as a young chef.” - Felix

👏We’re all incredibly proud of the progress Felix has made, and we wish him every success in his new role and future career.

With modules accredited by the CTH - Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality, our state of the art hospitality training facilities at Moreton offer students at different levels a range of opportunities to learn new skills in food safety, food prep, the use of different equipment, healthy eating, plus cooking and thinking creatively about food! If you'd like to find out more about what EMA's study programmes can offer, please visit our website or get in touch. Tours and taster sessions are available all year round. 😃

24/10/2025

📣We're hiring for a few different roles at EMA right now including Tutor, and Learning Support Workers. If you're looking to take the next step in you career, and are dedicated to helping others achieve their goals, we'd love to hear from you.

To find out more, visit our website for all current vacancies. Thank you!

💼https://employmyability.org.uk/jobs/

22/10/2025

🥇We’re thrilled to share the news that Shaftesbury in Bloom has been awarded Gold in this year’s Britain in Bloom for RHS - Royal Horticultural Society! An incredible achievement that recognises the dedication, creativity, and teamwork of everyone involved!

Students from our Gillingham campus and attendees from EMA Social Care played a proud part in the efforts, helping to plant and deliver over 130 troughs and 20 barrels filled with colourful displays across the town earlier this year.

This collaboration gave our learners and service users a wonderful opportunity to apply their skills, work as a team, and see their efforts brighten up the local community. A huge well done to everyone at Shaftesbury in Bloom, and to our amazing students, staff, and social care attendees who contributed to this gold-winning effort. 👏

Great news, we won GOLD!!

An amazing result for all our volunteers and supporters hard work.

Well done everyone.