Why is Skills Ability Different?

Skills Ability Weymouth is not like school. It is a place where skills are learnt as part of a team, helping to run our community Café and Shop. Our daily jobs include cooking, serving and making items in the workshop, plant nursery or at Tumbledown Farm and students will have the opportunity to try them all. Students develop practical employability skills every day and develop their numeracy and literacy as part of running the business. Whilst some time will be spent in a classroom, this will be kept to a minimum, with the focus being on developing skills linked to employment and using these in work places in the local area. All students will be encouraged to aim for a Supported Internship at one of our business partners or at a bespoke placement accessible by public transport.

630 m2

100 yards

From the beach

Inside space

Meaningful Work Experience

It is always difficult to know what a job is like until you actually try it. Our experienced Careers Advisors will work with students and help identify potential careers, but the key is having an opportunity to experience different roles first hand. That is why SAW will enable young people to try as many roles as possible, with employers coming in to give talks and then host work experience placements across a range of jobs and industries. This provides an opportunity to find something that fits with the young person’s ambitions and skills, leading onto a longer placement and eventually a Supported Internship. SAW will always be on hand to provide support, through experienced Job Coaches and Tutors, on-site during placements and internships.

Over 100 departments and experienced support

Superb opportunities and support

Vibrant and sociable experiences

A Focus on Health

Being healthy is a key aim of SAW, from getting the right amount of exercise, to eating the right foods. Whilst students will help make a wide range of treats for the café, shop and themselves, food will be made in the kitchen from scratch, teaching key cooking skills that will be useful at home as well in work. All students will take it in turns to work in the kitchen and help create lunch for everyone alongside cooking for the customers in the Café. With amazing outside spaces on our doorstep and the beach health an wellbeing sessions will be scheduled daily where we will encourage exercise either outdoors or in our gymnasium if the weather is unkind.