Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service has delivered a course teaching vital skills to help young people with special educational needs in their life and career.
Members of the Fire Service’s Prevention Team invited sixth form students from The Bee Hive in Kingsthorpe, which sits under Northgate School Academy Trust, to a four-day early intervention course at the fire stations in Mereway and The Mounts.
The bespoke course focused on employability, giving educational sessions on health and safety, PPE, uniform and first aid – but also using fire training exercises to increase confidence in those taking part.
These included a mock scenario where they rescued someone from a road traffic collision, having to communicate with each other to ensure the person was rescued from the vehicle, received the right first aid, and was stretchered away to an ambulance.
The Bee Hive is for young adults with learning difficulties who are not yet ready for work or college and require access to a curriculum that develops their personal and social skills, their understanding of the world of work and adulthood.
Michelle Bates (pictured below) is a Youth Engagement Officer for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and helped to deliver the early intervention course alongside her colleagues in the Prevention Team.
Michelle said: “Early intervention is so important for us, and we’ve done several courses like these with young people across the county.
“The idea is to improve their communication and resilience, which are key skills they will need in both the workplace, but also their personal lives. It was also an opportunity to give them safety tips which they can use to keep themselves safe.
“We were delighted to work with The Bee Hive, and we hope their students found the course beneficial.”
Lilly, a 16-year-old student at The Bee Hive, said: “I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot of things that I can use when I’m going for a job or in my everyday life – like health and safety, communication and teamwork.”
Jaime Norris, Employability Manager at The Bee Hive, added: “The Youth Engagement team has become an invaluable partner in our community.
“For the second year, they’ve delivered a course that not only meets the unique needs of our students but also strengthens the values we share – preparing young people for adulthood and employability.
“This program blends practical life skills with teamwork, leadership, and communication, creating opportunities that ripple beyond the classroom. It’s a course recommended by peers and embraced by families, and we look forward to growing this partnership year after year.”
