A Partnership Empowering Young People Through Work Experience

Here at The Washclub, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and develop essential skills for the future. That’s why we are absolutely delighted to announce our new initiative in partnership with Thriftwood College, aimed at providing meaningful and hands-on work experience for young people with learning disabilities and autism who currently attend SEND schools.

Creating Opportunities for the Future

The main objective of this initiative is to provide students with practical, work-based skills that will help them navigate real-life business environments. With only 5.1% of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority in England in paid work (NHS Digital, 2021), it’s clear that more needs to be done to bridge the gap and create employment pathways for young people.

Andrew Denny, founding Director of The Washclub added "this partnership makes me feel proud! Being able to give students the benefit of experience in a real company is so empowering. I just love how excited the students are when getting involved with the whole process. We watch their enthusiasm and the Washclub is clearly providing them with a true and tangible inspiration for their employment aspirations. They bring so much energy to every session". 

By offering this structured program, we hope to support young adults in developing key skills before they leave school, giving them a head start in their future careers.

Hands-On Learning at The Washclub

Over the past couple of months, students from Thriftwood College have been regularly attending The Washclub base, gaining hands-on experience in various aspects of product creation and business operations. So far, their work has included:

• Soap and Wax Melt Production – Weighing ingredients, mixing recipes, and crafting beautifully scented products.

• Packaging & Labeling – Designing, cutting, and preparing labels, assembling boxes, and packaging finished products.

• Business & Marketing Skills – Understanding how products are prepared for sale, and soon, learning about promotional campaigns through photography, video creation, and sales.

Sarah Dickens, class teacher at Thriftwood College shared, "My students love working with The Washclub, creating their Thriftwood products and learning valuable teamwork and work skills, in a friendly and inclusive environment. They're proud and excited to see their beautiful products and videos online, and to share their achievements with friends, family and Thriftwood staff and students!"

Launching Their First Product Line – And More to Come!

This week marks an exciting milestone as we officially launched the students' first product lines on The Washclub site! But this is just the beginning. Over the coming months, the students will be developing their own unique product lines, experimenting with new fragrances and shapes, and learning new skills in marketing and sales. We can’t wait to see how their creativity and confidence grow as they take on more responsibility in the business process.

Be sure to watch this space https://thewashclub.co.uk/collections/thriftwood for all their latest designs.

Looking Ahead

Our collaboration with Thriftwood College is a testament to how businesses can support young people with learning disabilities by providing real-life experiences that build both skills and confidence.

We are so proud of what has already been achieved and are incredibly excited to see where this journey takes us next.