What is DISC?

DISC is the Digital Independent Specialist College, a new and unique opportunity to help young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to move towards working in the creative and digital economy. Based at Holyoake House in the city centre of Manchester, DISC is a creative and digital studio providing supported work-based learning to help talented young people fulfill their potential and their dreams.

Who is it for?

DISC is for young people with SEND aged 16-24 who love creative and digital work and who would thrive in a professional, work-based learning environment, who love learning by doing and making and who want to develop their core skills to help them into the workplace..

What do we offer?

Pre-Internship – flexible support based around the young person’s needs and talents can include remote learning, short visits or longer periods of work placement.

Supported Internship – we have opportunities for young people wanting to work in the digital economy and who can commit to working with us for up to a year before they progress to work or other positive destinations. To qualify for the full time Internship you need an Education Health Care Plan

(EHCP); for the part-time opportunity you need a diagnosis and live within the Manchester City Council area.

Internship – we have full and part-time opportunities for young people wanting to work in the digital economy and who can commit to working with us for up to a year before they progress to work or other positive destinations. To qualify for the full time Internship you need an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP); for the part-time opportunity you need a diagnosis and live within the Manchester City Council area.

Do you have special educational needs or a disability (SEND)? Was full-time education challenging for you to navigate? Are you interested in designing websites, making films, or learning graphic design? Do you have excellent coding skills?

If you’re a 19-30 year old resident of Manchester with SEND, you may be interested in joining a small, friendly team to develop your skills and take steps towards a career in digital through a part-time internship. Find out more here.

Employment opportunities – all our efforts are designed to get young people with SEND into the right kind of work for them. We work with a range of employers to ensure our students are work ready and get interviews for positions. These may include full or part-time work, self-employment, or regular volunteering.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DISC INTERN

BLOG POSTS

We delivered our first internship in 20/21 under the Digital Inc. brand and just like a digital agency, with a Studio Manager overseeing and guiding the work our interns produced. Below is a film showcasing the internship where you hear from the Studio Manager and some of the interns about their experiences.

THE PRE-INTERNSHIP INCLUDES

Real life briefs

Work on real-life briefs set by creative & digital employers.

Careers advice

Customised careers support, advice and guidance. Education, training or employment options.

Further Education

1 year full time

Employer and Freelancer encounters

Regular encounters with SEND aware freelance workers and employers in the digital economy.

Digital Inc. Agency

Regular encounters with SEND aware freelance workers and employers in the digital economy.

Preparation for the workplace

Experiencing what it feels like to work in a digital workspace.

THE INTERNSHIP INCLUDES

1 year of work experience

1 year full-time* agency work experience in our Manchester city centre workspace Real life briefs

Maths & English

Weekly Maths and English/functional skills lessons

Real life briefs

Work on Real-life briefs set by creative & digital employers

Careers advice

Customised careers support, advice and guidance. Education, training or employment

SEND aware employers

Regular encounters with SEND aware employers. 10-15 supported employment places

Interview Time

Time off to attend interviews for further employment. Continued education, training and employment.

Portfolio & Freelance work

Ability to build their own portfolio and create freelance working opportunities

Pastoral Care

One-to-one pastoral support sessions to safeguard our interns' health and wellbeing

EMPLOYMENT & OTHER POSITIVE DESTINATIONS

Upon completion of your internship there are a number of positive
destinations that will help you towards independence.

Digital Inc. Agency

Digital Inc. Agency. May be able to provide the right supported environment for this to incubate and grow.

Further/Higher Education

You may feel that a course will help you progress into work. This could take the form of a Degree or Degree Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship

A Level 3 Apprenticeship with one of our participating employers.

Volunteering

Volunteering is also a good way to ease into employment. Again, we can support you to achieve this option.

Business Start-Up

Enterprise cuts through our programme and we will support students to test and set up a new business. We will work closely with the Princes Trust and provide the support you need to take it to market.