Information for young people and families

A Supported Internship is a programme that helps to bridge the gap from Education into paid work by providing additional support to young people. The programme is designed to support young people with additional needs who want to gain paid employment but would require additional support to do so.

In order to be eligible to access the Supported Internship programme, you must be between 16 - 24 years old and have an Education Health Care Plan. There are no specific qualifications or grades required, however the young person accessing this programme, must want to work.

The main goal of an internship is to help a young person with learning difficulties to develop the skills they need to be able to gain paid work. We need to make sure we get the right young person into the right job role with the right employer.

The young person would be supported in their work placement by their job coach, who will help identify the job role you want which also fulfils the business needs of the employer. They will support you from your initial induction and settling in period and will support you through your internship, but as you become more confident and independent, their support will gradually withdraw, only when you are ready, but will still be contactable should any issues arise. You will also work alongside other people in the business who will be your managers who will supervise you as they would all employees.

The Supported Internship is an unpaid programme, but to fund the support of a young person by a job coach in the work place an application will be made to DWP Access to Work on your behalf. Either the young person or a recognised appointee will have to sign invoices at the end of each month to release the funds for the Job Coach support.

The aim of the Supported Internship is to prepare you for employment. As you will have been fulfilling a business need in the organisation, discussion will have been happening to secure you paid work at the end of the programme. This may not always be possible, but we are quite clear with an employer at the start that we are looking for paid work at the end of the programme. If you reach the required standards and they have a vacancy they should offer employment, whether this be full time, part time or hours discussed between the young person and the employer.

Supported Internship video 

Experience shared about the Supported Internship programme in Cheshire East.

Parent talking about their experience of the Supported Internship Programme at the Graduation in 2023.