*Written By* *Valen Calanche*, Head of Employment at Fair Shot
At Fair Shot, a London based UK Charity, we believe that partnerships are more than just agreements—they are relationships built on trust, shared values, and a mutual commitment to making the workplace truly inclusive.

As we work to train and support young adults with learning disabilities, we rely on strong employer partnerships to create sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities for our Fair Shot graduates.
But what does partnership really mean to us?

Partnership: A Shared Responsibility

For us, partnership is about working together, side by side, to create long-term impact. It’s not just about hiring people with learning disabilities—it’s about ensuring that every individual we support thrives in their role and contributes meaningfully to the workplace. And that takes collaboration.

We don’t just place a candidate and step away; we walk the journey with both the employer and the employee (Fair Shot Graduate) for six months, offering tailored guidance, training, and support to make the process seamless and create workplace accommodations for disabilities. This ongoing commitment helps businesses become confident in inclusive hiring and ensures that our graduates feel supported, valued, and empowered.

Why Strong Partnerships Matter for Inclusive Hiring

Inclusive hiring isn’t just a box to check—it’s an opportunity to unlock potential, foster diverse perspectives, and strengthen workplace culture. However, it requires the right support system to be successful. That’s where solid partnerships come in.

A successful partnership means employers are open to learning, adapting, and investing in the right resources. It means seeing the potential in individuals beyond traditional hiring criteria and creating an environment where they can flourish. Without genuine buy-in from businesses, inclusive hiring remains a challenge rather than a solution.

High Trust, High Impact

Trust is at the core of every strong partnership. Employers trust us to provide candidates who are job-ready, and our graduates trust that we will place them in environments where they can thrive. When there’s trust, there’s growth—for both employees and businesses.

This high-trust approach has led to incredible success stories. Take, for example, our partnerships with Moët Hennessy, Chestnut Bakery & Gentlemen Baristas, part of SISBAN Group. These organisations didn’t just open their doors to our graduates—they opened their hearts and minds to a new way of hiring.

Moët Hennessy embraced our programme by integrating a Fair Shot graduate into their Sales team, ensuring she has the right training and support to succeed. But also, as a company, they have done a lot of activities, like a Bike Race raising money to support our Charity, or Pop-ups in their offices to promote our mission and get their internal team aware of our partnership..
SISBAN Group took a proactive approach, by offering more than one venue to visit, giving us several options to place, and trusting our experience to move forward with the inclusive hiring. They signed up to our DEI Workshops to train their Managers to embrace neurodiverse talent, like our Fair Shot Graduate who has non-verbal autism and has been working with them for 2 years already.

The Future of Inclusive Hiring

These partnerships are proof that inclusive hiring isn’t just possible—it’s transformative. Our graduates bring dedication, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives to their workplaces, and our employer partners gain loyal, hardworking team members who enrich their company culture.

To every business considering inclusive hiring: let’s talk. Let’s build a partnership that benefits everyone, where the potential is realised and workplaces become truly diverse. At Fair Shot, we’re not just about finding jobs—we’re about creating futures.

If you're ready to be part of this movement, reach out. Let’s make inclusion a reality, together.

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