Training, Employment & Enterprise

Our training, employment and enterprise programme is person-centered, understanding the multitude of additional barriers that our service users face. We work with you through the drop-in Job Club and one-to-one sessions to ensure you have the right information, support and access to address your needs. We have supported people who have been offered a job within 2 weeks of registration and there have been others who have been with us for approximately eighteen months, as they require in-depth support and training before they become job-ready.

“I would like to thank MDC for sorting out a free laptop from this charity. It will be useful for looking for jobs, and video calls during Covid. If any other deaf people need a laptop, you should ask MDC for help with this. I’m really happy with the laptop, thank you.”

We continue to work with service users until their needs have been addressed and they have progressed to a place where success and achievement is possible.

“During the interview, which took place on Zoom, I was initially worried because I am hard of hearing and thought I would struggle to understand what the person was saying on a Zoom call.  My concerns were right as I only got 50% of what was being said, but thankfully Anna, my advisor from MDC who had been supporting me during each step of the process was also in the call to support me. Anna has been very helpful; she has encouraged me and I have built confidence throughout the process because of her support. I really don’t like interviews but with Anna’s support I actually felt 100% stronger and confident. Thank you to all MDC staff for letting me use their facilities, such as the laptop for the Zoom call, making phone called for me and so much more. So, with that in mind, I’m pleased to finally announce that after 5 long months, I was given the job….”

Manchester Deaf Centre drop-in Job Club supports people who are Deaf, deafened, hard of hearing and deaf blind into employment and with any training opportunities an individual may need to become job ready.

“The main reason I came to Job Club is because I had no support service in my area to help me. I got stressed and panic, which is why I came to the MDC and I know them well.  Manchester Deaf Centre is in a good location for me to travel on public transport. The staff have been extremely supportive and willing to help me.  The interpreter helped with the call to deal with PIP and staff were able to explain to me more clearly. I felt more relaxed and comfortable.   Without this service, I don’t know what I would do and this would affect my mental health”

Where needed we work with employers and job centres to ensure that the D/deaf community are able to seek opportunities on a level playing field:

“I just wanted to write and say thank you for helping us recently with regards to one of your clients who required an interpreter at her interview. Inclusion is extremely important to us and we always aim for our interview processes to be inclusive as possible – following your feedback we are now reviewing the process for recruiting colleagues in to our stores, specifically at how we ensure we can organise interpreters quickly and that our managers are aware of the process, so that there is no delay to the interview. Many thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback. Kind regards, Co-op HR – Organisational Effectiveness

One-to-one appointments are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Please make an appointment if you wish to meet or discuss via video directly with our specialist advisors below, or through this email:

Email: waite@manchesterdeafcentre.com 

Text - 07557 095854 (Text Only)

Dipti Patel - Employment, Training and Enterprise Advisor

Working days/hours

Monday 09:00-17:00
Wednesday 09:00-17:00

Contact

Email: diptipatel@manchesterdeafcentre.com

Mobile telephone number: 07557-095-929 (text only)

Toni Hanlon - Advocacy and Support Officer

Working days/hours

Wednesday & Thursday
09:00 - 17:00

Contact

Email: tonihanlon@manchesterdeafcentre.com

Contact number: 07584 720378