Treloar College prepares all our students for their life beyond Treloar’s by working with the individual’s goals and aspirations to develop a bespoke programme that enable them to achieve their aims. We do this via 4 comprehensive pathways which are then individualised. One of them is the Employability and Vocational pathway.
This pathway is aimed at students who aspire to work in their future. This may be full- or part-time employment, self-employment or volunteering; the Employability and Vocational pathway offers students the opportunity to access both internal and external work experience placements as well as studying and developing key skills for employment and future independence. Joe, one of Treloar College students, chose this pathway due to his aspirations for the future—to become a music producer and pursue his passion for music.
At the beginning of February, Joe released his first music track ‘It’s just the beginning’. Joe poured his whole heart and soul into this project; he happily shared with us his journey at Treloar’s and his plans for the future. Joe said:
"I first started Treloar’s back in 2012 when I was 10. I started in the school and settled in really well even though I had slight behaviour issues. Treloar’s has helped with my behaviour by giving me structed routines to follow such a school/college day and following routines on the house. Having regular sessions with the Therapy Team such as physios have really helped with my mobility."
Being part of the the Employability and Vocational pathway, Joe joined Treloar’s Supported Internship Programme through which Treloar’s aims to break the barriers by supporting young people with physical disabilities on their pathway to paid employment. Joe said:
"In terms of the Supported Internship Programme, I am really enjoying it. I like having the freedom it comes with so I can work on personal projects such as my music. I have the time to run my flat by meal planning, cooking and cleaning. One of the skills I have learnt is how to budget regarding my weekly food shop. I have always liked the idea of working from home when I leave Treloar’s but since starting the Internship, I have enjoyed going out and into the working environments. I like the social aspect of being in an office and also the banter that comes with it."
Joe’s passion for music was well-known within Treloar’s grounds, and that is why we are over the moon to share with the world his story and his first track!
"I aspire to become a music producer and desire to share my distinctive musical style with a wider audience. I have already released a song under my artist’s name of ‘Ruexonn’. Ruexonn takes its name from the first 2 letters of my last name; it’s a nod to my love for genetics and the ground-breaking exon skipping program. Just like how skipping beats alter a rhythm, exon skipping aims to correct genetic abnormalities, offering hope for those with genetic disorders. The song is called ‘It’s just the beginning’ and was released on various music streaming platforms on the 28 of January, which may not be my initial success, but I am feeling hopeful. With each following release, I intend to gain insights from previous works and enhance them for continuous improvement."
As part of the Supported Internship Programme, Joe has done 2 work placement linked to the music business:
"Last year, I had 2 work placements in the music industry. The first one was a radio station in Southampton called Awaaz. My second placement was with an ex-student’s dad, Pete Barringer. Pete is a worldwide music producer and has done a lot of work with Eurovision. I found this placement really knowledgeable and gained insight into the world of music production."
Lastly, on top of his college and internship commitments, Joe finds the time to be a part of student-led, accessibility enterprise that came to life last year:
"I also am a part of Let Me In, which is a student-led business in enabling disabled access in the work place, shops and community facilities. We carry out accessibility assessments, we have audited local venues such as Sainsbury’s, Weatherspoon’s and also bigger companies like Microsoft and Mansion House in London. We write a report and mark the venues out of 100%; they also receive a certificate with their score on. My role is running the social media on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook."
To listen to Joe’s first track, please follow the YouTube link: Its Just the Beginning – YouTube or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/4LI0rP31US1cKNEEpMvjsP?si=6cb971b3026b449a