STUDENTS who suffer from complex health needs such as a mental health illness have been helped into employment thanks to a new scheme.
EDF Energy's Generation business in Barnwood, Gloucester has been working with the National Star College's Steps into Work programme to assist students with complex needs to get into employment.
Mark Harper, minister for Disabled People and Forest of Dean MP, visited the Jobcentre Plus in Gloucester, where he met people who had chosen to take part.
It sees unemployed people with mental health problems volunteer to take part in a specialist job search programme.
Following on from this, he went to meet staff at EDF Energy to find out more about the firm's approach to employing disabled people, including those with mental health conditions.
Mr Harper said: "Today was an excellent opportunity for me to see first-hand the difference tailored support can make in helping people with mental health conditions into work.
"Both the government and employers have a role to play in ensuring that people with mental health conditions are able to find work.
"EDF Energy's Steps into Work is a great example of what can be achieved with the right support and how both the employer and the employee can get something out of it."
EDF Energy's Steps into Work scheme provides an extended internship where students are able to work in a secure and supported environment. During the programme students have the opportunity to work towards a formal qualification.
Around one in six people have a common mental health condition such as anxiety or depression and a further two per cent are affected by severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. People with these conditions often need extra support in finding work.
These people fare far worse in the labour market, with the employment rate for people with mental health problems at 37 per cent, compared with 58 per cent for people with health conditions in general and 73 per cent for the overall working age population.
Last year seven students completed a seven-month pilot intern programme alongside 1,600 local EDF Energy employees, working within teams specialising in electricity generation, training, customer service and business support.
In November last year, EDF Energy offered four of the students continuing employment opportunities at its Barnwood offices, while two others secured employment with the intern programme.
