Skills for Life
At Paperworks, we believe in supporting and inspiring adults with learning and physical disabilities, mental health challenges, and autism to build confidence and life skills that go far beyond the workplace. Our Skills for Life courses are tailored to enhance independence, creativity, and emotional well-being, offering a diverse range of opportunities for personal growth and discovery. These courses run at Paperworks and seamlessly complement our practical workshop-based training, creating a holistic approach to development.
In response to the growing emotional well-being needs of our service users, we’ve expanded our offerings to deliver even more impactful experiences. From literacy and numeracy to creative projects and personal growth, our programs are designed to inspire and equip participants with the tools they need to thrive in daily life.
Here’s a closer look at some of the exciting courses we have done and currently running:
Literacy Through Poetry
This course uses a range of interactive learning activities, with trainees working towards creating their own piece of expressive text, be it a story, poem, rap or song.
Adults with learning disabilities often face barriers when communicating, especially expressing their feelings, and we hope to empower them to use their voice and convey how they feel.
At the end of the course, trainees are encouraged to share their work at a Poetry Slam, held on a celebration day.
Managing Money
This numeracy course focuses on basic money handling skills and takes a real-world approach, looking at budgeting, how to pay for things, online banking safety and financial abuse.
Trainees are supported to consider financial scenarios they might encounter themselves and problem solve how to deal with it, from checking they receive the correct change in a shop to making a weekly budget.
As a group, trainees work towards holding a charity cake sale, practicing the skills they have learnt to plan, budget, buy for and hold a cake sale, whilst ensuring profit is made for the chosen charity.
The cake sale is held on the end of course celebration day, where we showcase the achievements of our trainees.
Podcast
Our podcast course opens the door to a world of storytelling and communication. Trainees learn hands-on about the essential equipment for recording episodes, gaining valuable technical expertise. They also develop interview techniques and communication skills while connecting with inspiring individuals from the local community. Through our podcast, “A Cuppa and a Catch Up at Paperworks” trainees have the chance to share stories, spark conversations, and build confidence in an exciting and creative environment.
Product Development
Our A Little Bird Told Me brand has taken off! By 2024, we’ve grown it to feature four exciting new products, soon to launch. This course gives trainees firsthand experience in the entire product development process—from brainstorming designs and conducting market research to running focus groups, prototyping, managing finances, and developing marketing strategies. These versatile skills not only bring products to life but also prepare trainees for success in everyday situations outside of Paperworks.
