STUDENTS were given a chance to explore their future career options in the hope of improving the number of adults with autism who are in work.

LVS School in Begbroke, near Kidlington, organised its first ever careers week for its students, who have been diagnosed with learning difficulties such as autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

The school said it is ‘passionate’ about improving the statistic of only 16 per cent of adults with autism being in full-time, paid employment in the UK.

It held a series of activities between Monday, February 5 and Friday, February 9 to help students get a clearer idea of the options available to them when they leave school.

LVS students were among the 2,000 who visited the Mini Plant in Cowley to meet employers including BMW, Microsoft and Thames Valley Police.

Organisers Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership were praised for helping the students deal with the crowded space which can be difficult for children with autism because of the range of stimuli they have to deal with.

The week of activities also saw the Oxfordshire Animal Sanctuary manager, Iain Atkin, and the owners of the Gardiner Arms pub in Tackley gave presentations on the jobs available within their business and the skills students would need to be employed there.

CV building workshops, mock job applications and interviews and a visit from a careers service were all held to help students gain confidence and figure out what they want to do in the future.

The week finished with a construction workshop where six form head Sam Hewson – a trained plumber – taught basic techniques and helped students complete their own project to measure, cut and connect pipework.

The school’s headteacher, Louisa Allison-Bergin, said the school is committed to helping students ‘live independently in the future’, through building their confidence, providing academic qualifications and equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need for employment.

She added that she felt the first careers week was a big success.