About Us
THE SHYFT is a structured, hands-on programme for young people with SEND who may not yet feel suited to traditional working environments or employment pathways, with sessions running across West Sussex and Surrey.
Too often, there is a gap between education and what comes next. We believe these young people are capable, but the transition into adulthood and employment can be where confidence, routine, and opportunity begin to fall away.
THE SHYFT exists to help bridge that gap.
Through small, in-person sessions, participants take part in practical, work-based activities and experiences designed to build routine, responsibility, communication, independence and workplace behaviours within a supportive environment.
Sessions combine product development, independence skills, and real-world experiences. This may include areas such as: printmaking, ceramics, woodwork and jesmonite; alongside food and drink preparation, customer service skills, and visits to local cafés, businesses, and community organisations.
Participants work towards tangible outcomes, contribute to a shared working environment and build experience through practical activities connected to everyday adult life, offering a more supported and realistic route towards independence and employment.
Over time, this extends into supported employment opportunities, creating more ways for participants to contribute to their communities.
The focus is not on keeping young people occupied. It is on creating the conditions for real participation.
Our Values
PURPOSE
CONTRIBUTION
Respect
COmmunity
Progression
Why I Created The Shyft - Sian Redman
After 10 years spent hiring and developing people in global businesses, including running graduate programmes, something began to stand out.
I could count on one hand the number of people who openly disclosed an additional need or disability during a hiring process. The lack of representation in the workforce was striking. We were trying to build inclusive environments, but it became clear that the challenge wasn’t only within employment itself. For many, the barrier existed long before that point.
The transition into work didn’t feel accessible or achievable and there seemed to be a missing step between education and employment.
This led me to look more closely at what happens after education. In the UK, only around 5–6% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment. Across the wider disabled population, that number is around 50–55%.
At the same time, I kept coming across the same thing - young people who wanted to work, to contribute and to be part of something real.
After maternity leave, I decided I wanted to do something about it. The Shyft was developed in response to what felt like a clear gap; a need for something that sits between education and employment, where people can build practical skills, develop routine and take part in work that leads somewhere.
My own experience of navigating a neurodiversity diagnosis has only reinforced this. It has deepened my understanding of how environments can either enable or limit someone’s ability to take part and why the right structure matters.
The Shyft is built on a simple belief: More people are capable of working than current opportunities often allow for, and more people should have the opportunity to do so.
How The Shyft operates
The Shyft operates as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CIC), with all income reinvested back into the programme.
We deliver structured, work-based sessions for young people with learning disabilities, alongside product development, small-scale production, and future work-based opportunities. These activities form part of a wider model designed to create real work experience and build pathways into supported employment.
This approach allows us to combine social impact with a sustainable, revenue-generating model that supports long-term growth.
Currently, sessions are delivered within hired community spaces across Surrey and West Sussex. Over time, our goal is to create a permanent home for THE SHYFT, allowing us to run multiple daily sessions within a dedicated environment designed around the needs of our participants.
Alongside our work-based programmes, we want to create social opportunities, events and a genuine sense of community through the work we do.
We also have future plans to open our own shop and café, creating supported employment opportunities for participants within a real working environment.
Longer term, we hope to expand THE SHYFT into further locations supporting adults with learning disabilities and neurodivergent adults, helping more people access meaningful opportunities, community, and work.
We also want to build partnerships with local businesses to develop supported employment pathways, offering ongoing support and training both for participants and the businesses working alongside us.
The Future of The Shyft
The Future of The Shyft
Contact us
Whether you’re a school, parent, employer or just curious about what we’re building, feel free to get in touch.
We’d love to hear from you.