At DPD we aim to be the industry leader in all aspects of our business, from customer-facing innovation to pioneering eco-friendly delivery, and this includes our award-winning inclusion programme called Inspire. 

We feel strongly that everyone is welcome at DPD, and this has been emphasised by the launch of our new Diversity, Equality and Inclusion strategy. "I want our new Diversity, Equality and Inclusion strategy to be part of our DNA moving forwards, so that DPD becomes an even more amazing place to work for everyone, a place where all of us can fulfil our potential and where everyone knows they have a chance to progress." Elaine Kerr, CEO. 

The DPD Inspire programme was set up to ensure young people are given the opportunities they deserve by providing supported Work Experience, Internships, Apprenticeships and Employment for people with Disabilities and/or Special Educational needs. As a Valuable 500 and Disability Confident Employer we wanted to make this a priority. 

At DPD we aim to go further than just allowing young people with SEND the chance to experience the workplace. We want to give our Inspire students a future. This is why anyone who comes to DPD through Inspire works towards full-time employment. 

Our vision is for Inspire to reach every area of the business and to make sure we are giving employment opportunities to people with disabilities. We could try and tell you more, but who better to explain how we operate than members of our Inspire programme? 

Inspire stories 

Mitchi’s story 

My journey into employment began in 2018 when I joined DPD as one of the very first Inspire interns. Having Asperger’s means that new environments can be quite challenging for me, but from day one DPD helped me to overcome this barrier. 

When I first arrived at DPD I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do. All through my life, people asked me what I wanted to do for a career. And every time, I had no clue what to say. DPD recognised my love for computers and so offered me an internship placement in the IT department. During my first few weeks I used a web service called CodeAcademy, which, as the name suggests, is a platform to learn programming. Specifically, I learned the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. These are the main coding languages that DPD uses both for internal and external products. 

I was enjoying my time at DPD, but I was discovering that programming, whilst something I was interested in, wasn’t the area of IT I wanted to work in. After discussions with my mentor, I was given the opportunity to take a look around at what other teams there were around the office. 

Moving around the teams really helped my mindset. This experience taught me that if I wasn’t 100% happy with something, DPD would work with me and support me to find something that suited me better. It also helped me personally by developing my social skills through interacting with new people. 

I’m now an Apprentice working in the UI/UX Design team, which allows me to pair my love for technology with my creativity. Whilst I don’t know what the future holds, I am happy at DPD and know that I have the support I need to have a fulfilling career. 

Ethan’s story 

I have been fascinated by cars, but due to my disability I felt that my dream of pursuing a career in the transport industry was impossible. At school my teachers focussed on helping me with areas I struggled in, rather than pushing me towards my passion for vehicles, and I was often left feeling unmotivated and frustrated. 

Then I got the opportunity to join DPD as an intern in their Transport team - and I’ve never looked back. It gave me the hands-on experience I needed to show my abilities and that I could be an important member of the team, and because of this my confidence grew, as did my responsibilities. This resulted in me being offered a permanent role in November 2020. 

Ethan’s Line Manager, Simon Turbutt, is delighted with his progress, saying “Since joining the team, Ethan has gone from strength to strength, and his contribution to the department has been impressive. Not only does he attend work every day with a can-do attitude, his positivity means that he is a well respected member of the team.” 

Shernade’s story 

I’ve always been shy and at college I set myself the goal of coming out of my shell, and to do this my tutors suggested taking part in the new DPD Inspire programme after DPD Director of IT, Steve Mills, reached out to Dudley College. 

I joined the IT Hardware team in 2018, and turned up each day with enthusiasm to learn - and was even allowed to keep my coat hood up as it helps me to relax. I was able to complete the tasks given to me by my team, but I felt I needed a little bit more support to achieve my goal of overcoming my shyness. 

With the help of the Supported Employment team, we worked on finding my voice in the team and as of November 2020 I became a permanent employee. No longer do I need to keep my hood up, and I enjoy having conversations with the team. 

The confidence I learned in the IT Hardware team has meant that I now know what I want to do with my career, and through DPD’s partner Sodexo, I am being supported in pursuing a role in catering. 

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