Employ My Ability

04/11/2026

📣ONE WEEK TO GO until our Provider Access Event on Wednesday 11th November.

We will be joined by a diverse range of service providers in next steps for young people with SEND.

Schools, parents, carers, and young people all welcome. FREE to attend.

RSVP today via [email protected]

Event page and more info here: EMA Provider Access Day - 2026

23/10/2026

📢Just over TWO WEEKS to go until Provider Access Day 2026!

Looking to find your future? Why wait?... Our Provider Access event is aimed at young people with SEND looking to take their next steps. Now in its fourth year, we are joined by a fantastic range of providers in education and local services who support young people in fulfilling their potential.

🗓Wednesday 11th November
🕙10am-3pm
📍Moreton Village Hall (just outside of Dorchester)

📣Exhibitors can join for FREE - we still have some space! If you'd like to join us and share what you do with the young people attending the event, please get in touch today via [email protected]

Parents, carers, young people and schools - book your visit! RSVP and let us know you'd like to attend. It's FREE to do so.

EMA will be present too! Discover our diverse pathways for young people in Dorset. We look forward to meeting you and connecting with all the exhibitors on the day. 😃

Event page: EMA Provider Access Day - 2026

🗣“Great venue and hospitality was lovely – thanks to all the EMA team/students involved!” – Dorset Council

🗣“Good venue. Good cross section of providers.” – SWRAC

🗣“Absolutely, great to connect with so many other organisations, colleges and schools. It was also really great to meet interested individuals.” Volunteer Centre Dorset

🗣“The staff team was incredibly helpful and courteous, enhancing our overall experience. Thank you for your excellent organisation, and we look forward to future events. It was an excellent platform for us to promote various opportunities available within the National Trust at Brownsea Island.” – National Trust

17/10/2026

🌳We're hiring! Join our team in Gillingham, North Dorset and help support our students to develop essential life skills, confidence, and independence.

For full details and an application form, please visit our website: https://employmyability.org.uk/job-learning-support-workers-gillingham-full-time-part-time/

We look forward to hearing from you - please pass this role on to anyone who you think may be interested. Thank you! 😃

EMA’s Gillingham campus is a specialist provision for young adults (post-16) with complex Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD). Our students are supported to develop across a range of curriculum areas, and we’re looking for dedicated Learning Support Workers to join our amazing team.

02/10/2026

🟢 REMINDER! Our EMA OPEN DAYS take place next week.

Book a tour of either campus and discover everything we offer for young people with SEND in Dorset.

All the details you need are in the post below 😃

EMA open days in Moreton and Gillingham in Dorset allow you to get a first-hand look at our vibrant opportunities for young people with SEND

29/09/2026

☕Coffee morning at the EMA Wareham hub!

📍Students at our hub at Not Just Sundaes in Wareham have been settling into their new surroundings, and last week completed their first coffee morning session, with students and staff from the Moreton campus stopping by for hot drinks and biscuits. The Wareham students took their orders, made the drinks, delivered them to the tables and cleaned up afterwards - a successful morning all round!

🗣“I’ve had some very happy days at Wareham so far – and been working hard on my listening! I’ve really enjoyed making the coffees, and been practising for today. A big thing for me has been learning how to use the urn.” – Aaron, Student

EMA's Preparation for Adulthood Tutor Melanie shared more insight into how it’s going in Wareham, and what’s ahead.

🗣“I’m so impressed with how well they’ve done today – Charlie in particular has done amazing with his tray carrying. These coffee mornings will be a regular event and we'll be inviting the Wareham community. Being in a town brings a wealth of opportunities for life skills development – whether that’s from shopping, travel training on public transport, or hosting events like this for the public. We are also hoping to visit Swanage, Poole and other local towns to further increase the confidence of the students, and are looking at the possibilities of doing some volunteering work for a few members of our group as well." Melanie, Tutor

🗣“Melanie has been so good at helping us. She’s helped me with my reading and writing – this is something I’m getting much better at. The coffee morning has been great and I can’t wait to do it again!” – Hayden, Student

We look forward to sharing more from the Wareham hub very soon.👏

Reminder! - Our EMA Open Days take place next week on the 6th and 8th October – if you’d like to learn more about all we offer young people with SEND in Dorset, including how the Wareham hub helps to develop independence, please do reach out today and book a guided tour. 😃

📍EMA Open Days - Moreton Campus
📍EMA Open Days - Gillingham Campus

22/09/2026

⚠ We have some essential website maintenance happening today. This should not cause any disruption, but if for any reason you're unable to access our EMA website and urgently need to contact us, please do so via [email protected] or 01929 405685 - thank you! 🙂

22/09/2026

📣We will be returning to the Somerset Skills and Careers Fair on Wednesday 7th October.

If you're unable to make our EMA Open Days, this is another brilliant opportunity to meet with EMA staff, and discover the diverse pathways we offer young people with SEND. If you're coming along, we look forward to seeing you there! 😃

📍Westlands Entertainment Venue, Westbourne Close, Yeovil BA20 2DD

| Somerset Education Business Partnership

18/09/2026

A new term in action across EMA in Dorset!

🗣“The staff at EMA brighten up my life and it truly is my happy place here – I love the support I receive, especially from Claire and Kerry who have helped me with my dicing skills. I was rubbish when I started and never thought I could do it. Now I can!” – Jasmine, EMA student

These first couple of weeks of the new academic year have been bursting with activity across our campuses and hubs in Dorset, as new and returning students become acclimatised to life at EMA, and everyone settles into new timetables and gets to know each other. We have been so impressed by the effort and enthusiasm as we all work together to give everyone the best opportunities to learn and develop their skills, independence, and confidence.

Whether it’s internal work experience in the gardens or café at The Walled Garden Moreton, baking in the hospitality training spaces (including a staff birthday cake by Josh at Gillingham!), exploring the community for travel training, working on personal communication skills in SALT, or external work placements on supported internships. You don’t have to look very far to see a young person from EMA thriving, and we’re only just getting started this year!

🗣“I've enjoyed starting my Supported Internship, I like being in Dorchester and being able to explore the town independently. I am happy to have started my placement and am enjoying getting to know people at Beach Holiday Park. I am excited for the year ahead!" – Grace, Intern on Supported Internship

We’ll have so much more to share this year from both campuses in Moreton and Gillingham, along with our hubs in Wareham and Dorchester, but for now, well done to everyone for a brilliant start.👏

📣Reminder! Our OPEN DAYS are coming up in October, so if someone you know is looking for their next steps this year or next year, why wait? Reach out and we’d love to show you what EMA can offer young people with SEND.