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100 Blind and Partially Sighted Interns Achieve Success with ‘Get Set Progress’
Date posted: 26th November 2024
In a significant milestone for the Get Set Progress internships programme for blind and partially sighted people, Bilaal, a visually impaired student from Sheffield Hallam University, has today become the 100th intern to join this transformative initiative developed by Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Nicholson & Co, Sheffield based accountancy firm, were the only organisation to offer paid employment to Bilaal, who has a genetic condition called Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) affecting his sight and weight. Upon signing up as an employer host with the Get Set Progress programme, Nicholson & Co receive ongoing support from Thomas Pocklington Trust. That has allowed for Bilaal to gain invaluable work experience and develop his professional skills. He has gained enough confidence to operate in a busy workplace.
Bilaal feels that the Get Set Progress programme is crucial to growing his confidence as a visually impaired person because he now feels more independent.
Bilaal says:
“The development opportunities are fantastic; they’re helping me to gain additional skills and grow in independence. I’m looking forward to the training on teamwork because I’m excited about the group project at the end of the programme. Sharing ideas and experiences with my peers has been a fun way to feel connected with others on the same journey as me, our WhatsApp group is very active!”
As the 100th intern, Bilaal’s participation highlights the ongoing need for the programme to ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce where blind and partially sighted people are welcomed. Bilaal’s experience is a call to action for more companies to follow Nicholson & Co’s lead providing meaningful employment opportunities for blind and partially sighted people through the Get Set Progress internship programme.
The Get Set Progress internship programme, which is run in collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) since 2015, is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when barriers to entry into the world of work are removed and opportunities are extended wider. The programme’s success rate is impressive, with 85% of participants finding permanent employment within six months of completing their internships.
Why This Matters Now
With Chris McCausland pirouetting the perception of blind and partially sighted people through Strictly, people are now wanting to learn more about inclusion and accessibility for the visually impaired community.
The Get Set Progress programme exemplifies how inclusion can drive both business success and social progress. Inclusive workplaces benefit from diverse perspectives, innovative problem solving, and a more dynamic and empathetic work environment. Additionally, with an estimated annual cost of sight loss and blindness amounting to £25.2 billion nationally, the Get Set Progress programme helps to drive positive economic impact by supporting people with sight loss into employment. Time to focus report, Fight for Sight
Channel 4 and NHS Amongst Employers Hosting Interns in 2024
Internships have been offered in a range of different roles from accountancy, customer services, marketing, HR, sales and many more. Our employers include sight loss organisations, theatres, education providers, the NHS and this year Channel 4 have welcomed one of our interns. Our ambition is to be even bigger next year, where we will be looking to recruit 40 employers.
Thomas Pocklington Trust supports employers participating in the Get Set Progress programme with the recruitment process and provides training on sight loss in the workplace, ensuring a smooth and enriching experience for all parties involved.
Darren, 2024 Intern at Zappar:
“Peer support as a recently blind person has been invaluable to feeling included. The progress I have seen in myself and my peer group has been incredible. My background was in technology before I lost my sight a year ago and I’ve now discovered that assistive technology is something I am really passionate about. The time was provided to relearn software and the internship gave me the space to feel confident around using these applications again.”
Leonie Milliner, CEO at General Optical Council:
“The programme has been transformative for us as an employer. We are now more confident in offering opportunities to blind and partially sighted people. The process was smooth, and we have been delighted with our intern, Sam. The scale of the adjustments we have made were not nearly as significant as we had anticipated, and this has been an interesting learning point for our organisation.