Supported internships were introduced by the government in 2013 to give a greater focus on preparing young people with special educational needs and disabilities with the skills needed for adulthood and employment.
Supported Internships are structured work placements and study programmes for young people with a learning difficulty or disability that are designed to develop skills and fulfil a genuine business need of the employer.
Supported Internships is a government program implemented in colleges across the country. Supported Interns need to work 14 - 16 hours per week for approximately eleven months running from September to June. Supported Internships have no cost to the employer, the intern is unpaid, unless you wish to do so.
Interns are supported and provided on-the-job training by job coaches and learn about the working world by actively participating in it. During their placements, interns will attend college one day a week to complete units in English, Maths and work skills.
Our specially-trained job coaches are there to support the student and ensure they fulfil the agreed business need. Job coaches will work alongside you and the young people throughout the internship.
Once the young person can carry out their role independently and competently the Job Coach will reduce their support and eventually the Job Coach will withdraw completely once the young person is fully competent. Job coaches are funded through government funding and come at no extra cost to the company.
Offering work placements for supported internships can provide numerous benefits for your business including:
Our job coaches will learn the job role and support the student fully for as long as is required
Your first port of call is your assigned Job Coach or the Supported Internship Co-ordinator – contact details can be found at the bottom of the page
Yes, but allowances may be made to ensure the student understands the rules.
There is no financial cost to employers taking on a supported intern. Young people taking part in a supported internship placement are unpaid as it is part of their programme of study at college. Job coaches are funding via West Herts College and the relevant governing bodies.
However, you may have other business costs, such as time spent planning, training and supervising. Alternatively, you can choose to pay interns, if you wish to do so.