Joshua is working at LCB as an Inclusive Learning Services Administrator as part of his Leeds City College T Level in Management and Administration industry placement.
First off, can you tell me a little bit about yourself and the course you study at Leeds City College?
My name is Joshua Hirst, and I am a blind student at Leeds City College studying a T Level in Management and Administration. I was originally looking at another course, but the staff at the college told me I should go for a higher-level course like this T level. I was a bit sceptical at first because I’m like, can I really do that? I often doubt my own abilities, but I went for it and I’ve been quite successful at it so far.
How did you end up working here at LCB?
In the second year of my course, you have to do 315 hours of work experience. I was recommended to do this placement by a careers advisor I had at college. I came here and did an interview, and I was happy to get the placement. I started working in the Inclusive Learning Services team with Hazel [Spelling, Inclusive Learning Services Manager] as my boss.
What does your day-to-day look like?
I usually get in around nine and I usually set my stuff up on reception because I like to work in a cooler environment due to a thyroid condition I have. At the reception desk you get a nice draft and fresh air from the front door. I work in specific way of using an iPad and Braille which means I can work in more places than someone would just using a traditional PC desktop.
Once I’ve set up, I’ll do my rounds and speak to my team to find out what we’re getting on with today. My jobs can vary quite heavily, a lot of what I do is managing data on Excel spreadsheets, but I’ve recently done a presentation for a sensory room – how best to make it work and research into what works and what doesn’t. All the work is tailored around how we can better support our SEND [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities] students.
Can you tell me more about your work setup?
I use an iPad and then I also use something called a Braille note which is essentially like a typewriter. It’s got three dots on the side, two at each end and then a space bar in the middle. And you use a language called Braille, which is what severely sight impaired and blind people read.
What do you like most about working at LCB?
What I like the most is just talking to people on a day-to-day basis. I get to talk to a lot of different people and hear a lot of varied perspectives on things. In class you see the same people all the time so it’s nice here to be able to talk to hundreds of different people who will actually engage you in a conversation.
Looking forward to after this placement, what are your goals for the future?
I’d like to get a full-time job here. More long term, I’d imagine a house would be on the table. Independent living is something I’d be very interested to do. But for the moment, I’m looking at getting a job. I’m nearly 20. I’ve been in college, sixth form and high school. So, I’ve been in education all my life. I want to get into the world of work, and I want to pursue a career.
How have LCB supported you while you’ve worked here?
Everyone at LCB will always help wherever they can. For example, when I was making the sensory room presentation, I mentioned earlier Hazel helped me with certain matters that I maybe wasn’t fully aware of – like the measurements of the room. One of the things I wanted to add was soundproof panelling, such as acoustic panelling. For that to work, I needed to know the measurements so I could get an accurate cost estimated.
Hazel helped me find the average price per square metre of panelling, so my presentation was properly costed. That’s just one specific example but every time I’ve had to speak to different departments to help with things I need to do my job they have been very helpful. I had help getting my iPad early on so that I could access the same systems other staff can access on their computers.
What advice would you give to other SEND staff or students thinking of coming to LCB?
I’d say absolutely pursue it. It’s a very welcoming environment for everyone. They really do champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is a very good thing to see. Some workplaces won’t do that, but you can guarantee that you will be made to feel welcome here.
Find out more about working at LCB right here
