Callum’s story

Callum’s journey

Callum is a National Star student on a one-year Supported Internship. Supported Internships are designed to prepare young people with physical and/or learning disabilities to get a job. Working with local employers, internships enable National Star students to further develop their employability skills for working life after college.  

Callum is working closely with his job coach, Maia, to explore various opportunities and finalise a future career that excites and inspires him. 

Callum’s primary goal is to gain relevant experience, while also learning about himself and what motivates him. He is willing to try all opportunities, but he is learning that he enjoys opportunities more when they align with his aspirations – community, sustainability, and technology. 

On Monday mornings, Callum supports in StarBistro; National Star’s on-campus café serving members of the public. Here he is learning the ins and outs of customer service in a food-based environment. Monday afternoons, he can be found working at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham; selling tickets and finessing his computer admin skills. Wednesdays are spent working on reception at National Star in Ullenwood welcoming visitors, dealing with enquiries, and improving his communication skills. The remainder of his week is spent at college, researching future opportunities, fine-tuning his CV and preparing for interviews.  

Callum is no stranger to hard work. In the past, he has supported various projects, including helping to build a new structure at the Westonbirt Arboretum. He also helps the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust with an ongoing digitisation project, which involves reviewing old handwritten bird observation cards and converting them into digital form to preserve the data for future use.  

Now in the second term of his Supported Internship, Callum has begun reflecting on what he enjoys most about his internship. He shared, ‘My favourite part about my placements so far is that you get to experience someone’s reaction to the work that you have done because you are helping someone. Because they are in front of you, you get a live reaction instead of one over the phone. I prefer face-to-face interactions.’

Everyman Theatre collaboration

The theatre has collaborated with National Star for ten years, offering meaningful work placements for students. This partnership has allowed students like Callum to gain hands-on experience in a professional environment.  

Nick, a member of the Everyman’s management team, shared his perspective on the partnership: ‘We are all equals. I believe everyone should be allowed to experience the working world, no matter their situations.’

Callum started working at the theatre in September after completing a questionnaire with his job coach, Maia, who said: ‘When Callum and I first met, he was unsure what he wanted to do, after reviewing the results of his questionnaire, where he selected computers and admin, I knew that the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, would be the perfect first placement for him.’

Months later Callum was asked to extend his placement with the theatre until he has completed his college course in July. For now, he continues to work with the team each week in their box office and is excited to receive some additional training on using the phone system soon.  

Nick said: ‘We will continue to welcome more students on placements with National Star. For anyone who is considering a job placement partnership with National Star, my advice would be – don’t be afraid, please work with the students as they are all very hard-working, and it is rewarding to have National Star students join your team.’

The path ahead

As Callum progresses through his internship, he will continue to work with Maia to start applying for jobs. The desired outcome is a smooth transition from college to employment. Living locally in Gloucester, Callum hopes to find a permanent position where he can continue to use his skills and passion for customer service, sustainability, and technology.  

If you or your business would like to support Callum by offering a placement or permanent role, please contact Maia, his job coach, to discuss potential opportunities. 

Partner with us

Are you interested in offering students like Callum through meaningful work placements? Our job coaches are ready to collaborate with businesses and organisations to provide opportunities that help students thrive. 

Contact Us
Email: mflenley@nationalstar.org
Telephone: 01242 527631