Written by Nicholas Roberts for Penguin News in the October 23rd, 2020, edition of the paper.

In addition to the better known post-16 educational pathways of heading off to UK for college and potential further academia, or undertaking studies with Falkland College (formerly the training centre), there is also the lesser-known Shield Programme, which began in September 2019.

Shield provides educational services for individuals who are vulnerable or have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and range from school leavers to mature learners. Within The Shield Programme there are two further pathways, focusing on developing life skills to help their clients build independent lifestyles which are fulfilling and productive, and assisting individuals to access work placement opportunities and develop employability skills – with the long-term goal of transitioning to full time employment.

Speaking to Penguin News, Shield Co-ordinator for Falkland College Helen Davies, said the educational programme covers a lot of different elements, which has a significant social aspect included with trips and social activities being involved.
In addition to the Educational side of The Shield Programme there is also an enterprise component in which the clients produce woodwork and other crafts to sell within the community. Helen said the earnings from the Shield Enterprise go partly back into the programme so that resources can be bought and trips or activities can be undertaken, but in addition to this a bonus is given to those on the programme based on the amount of products which have been sold that month.

Helen said in October the enterprise had done well, and that would provide a significant boost to the income of the programme’s clients. She said, though, that the programme needed investment to build it to the level which they hoped for in the future – and as the programme proved what it could produce, it would be able to grow and help more people in the community.

Recent social activities the Shield Programme clients have enjoyed have included a trip to Johnsons Harbour, undertaken for the dual purpose of dropping off some of the goods which the programme had produced, and an excursion; a wool dying session facilitated by the Guild of Spinners and Weavers; a trip in the harbour on a launch, and a ceramics painting session. Speaking to some of the clients, it was consistently affirmed how important to them the programme was. One of the clients, Claire Platt, said there had not been much for her to do before The Shield Programme was established.

Aaron Roberts, another client of the programme, said the programme gave people with SEND the opportunity to show what skills they had and that there was more to people with disabilities than was often realised.

Shield currently operates out of Falkland College, and has a workshop in the old Training Centre building for woodwork, as well as a life-skills training area in The Lister Building - formerly offices for the training centre.

While the Lister building has undergone recent work to accommodate its new use there was hope, Helen said, that in the long term future there would be a purpose-built Shield building to encourage the range of their enterprise and allow them to grow their services. Helen said in the shorter term there were to be gardens and greenhouses set up for Shield so the clients could grow their own flowers and fresh produce to sell.