Supported Internships

Creating employment opportunities for young people with learning difficulties and disabilities.

With your help we can offer supported internships for young people with a learning difficultly.

A productive working life is central to young person’s progress, and we couldn’t offer them this without the input and generosity of local employers. Our commitment to you is set out from the start, keeping the experience positive and simple.

We treat every employer as a client to serve and support. The internship will be bespoke to your business needs, with students placed in roles that make a genuine contribution to your organisation. Our specially-trained job coaches are on hand to ensure this positive impact is there from the outset and that the student is supported throughout.

 

What are Supported Internships?

Supported Internships are work placements 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 July. Supported Internships have no cost to the employer, the intern is unpaid, unless you wish to do so.

Find out more here.

 

How it works

We’ll match a student to your business requirements.

1. As soon as you’re on board we’ll be in touch to discuss your business requirements and help identify a suitable job role.

2. Informal interview to meet the student and Job Coach

3. Two-week trial and taster session

4. The student joins your team until July. The job coach will stay with the student for as long as is required for the student to work independently at a high standard.

5. We will review the Internship and discuss any improvement feedback 

6. The student passes the course with a range of new skills and opportunities alongside possible employment.

 

How we’ll support you

The College is on hand to support you throughout the internship. Speak to your Job Coach your first point of contact about:

• Identifying the most suitable job role
• The strengths and areas of development for your intern
• Adjustments to the job role
• Introducing the student to the rest of the team
• Sharing successful strategies and progression
• Ensuring your intern is on task and meeting your expectations
• Questions you may have at any stage of the internship

 

The role of a job coach

Our specially-trained job coaches are there to support the student and ensure they fulfil the agreed business need. This includes:

• Attending a work induction
• Supporting the student in learning the job role
• Mentoring the student and building their confidence within the role
• Monitoring student progress
• Modelling the appropriate workplace behaviours
• Remaining alongside the student until such a time that they are competent to complete the task unaided
• Travel training the student from home to work

 

Testimonials

We’ve worked with a range of different companies watch our video below and click here to read our testimonials and hear what students and employers have to say about Supported Internships.