WORK SKILLS

Knowsley Safari now offer a Work Skills programme aimed at post-14 students with SEND. We recently welcomed Bluebell Park who completed our pilot run – here’s what they got up to…

Students were able to work with staff from different departments across Knowsley Safari, including education, catering, maintenance, and ground staff. They completed a range of tasks allowing them to gain transferrable skills that can be used in future careers. One of the most popular activities involved cleaning windows, with several students proclaiming that they would love to try something similar for a career. The competitive nature of students was brought out when competitions started on who could clean tables and stock vending machines the quickest, as well as who could pick the most litter!

After a morning of hard work in the restaurant, students were able to sit back and relax with a drink. Some students were even given the opportunity to make their own hot chocolates.

No safari tasks were avoided, with students getting stuck in helping keepers to muck out our rhino houses! Armed with brooms, shovels and rakes, the students tackled the smelliest of tasks.

Later that day, students helped weeding on the Tiger Trail, all the while keeping their eyes peeled for Miron and Sinda, Knowsley’s resident Amur Tigers! The tiger trail looked spectacular by the time students were finished, and the grounds staff appreciated the help too!

Students also completed some research on the behaviour of our meerkats, learnt some excellent customer service skills and practiced giving animal talks on our foot safari!

All in all, the Work Skills programme has been a great success, with students growing in confidence, learning skills that will benefit them in the future. The group were able to come away from the programme with a completed portfolio, providing proof of tasks completed that they can look back on.

Thank you to Bluebell Park for a lovely 5 weeks!