Supported internships are structured study programmes based primarily at an employer.
They are primarily focused on young people with SEND aged between 16 and 24 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and are designed to help you to achieve paid employment by equipping you with the skills you need for work through learning in the workplace.
A supported internship can consist of up to four days of work placement and one day of learning, both taking place exclusively at the host employer. They normally last for a year and include unpaid work placements of at least six months.
As an intern you will generally spend a larger proportion of your time in the workplace and will also study English and maths to the appropriate levels alongside any additional courses. You receive the support of a 1:1 job coach, if required, to help you to develop your skills and confidence in the workplace. The goal at the end of the programme is to enter paid employment.
Alongside spending most of the time with the employer, you will complete a personalised study programme which includes the chance to study for relevant qualifications, and if appropriate plus English and maths.
Who are they for?
To be eligible for the supported internship programme, you must:
- Be aged 16 – 24 years old and have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP)
What can a supported internship provide?
A supported internship provides interns with the opportunity to develop their work skills and professional identity within a field of work in which they have expressed an interest. It also:
- Provides valuable work and life experience
- Helps to develop their understanding of work and employment
- Assists in developing a CV
- Enables to develop skills and confidence
- Raises the aspirations of the intern, their families and employers
- Enables the intern to demonstrate their skills and capabilities
- Assists the intern in progressing towards paid employment
- Enables the intern to explore whether a chosen field of work is right for them, and to develop their understanding of work and employment
Includes the 1:1 support of a job coach to assist the intern in the workplace where needed, and to assist in the smooth transition between education and work, and independence in the workplace
Who else can help?
There are a number of different organisations in Bromley who can offer advice about supported internships.
If you have an EHCP you can talk to your EHCP co-ordinator, your settings SENCO or careers advisor for more information.
The Bromley Mencap employability and training web pages include details of the full range of pathways to work programmes that they run including their supported internships programme run in collaboration with London South East Colleges at Bromley and Bexley.
London South East colleges (LSEC) offer a range of apprenticeships, traineeships (pre- apprenticeships) and supported internship opportunities which includes a new supported internship programme running in collaboration with the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH), part of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in Bromley.
LSEC’s new SEND inclusive website includes information for employers interested in creating inclusive opportunities within their organisations.
Bromley council are also working with DFN Project Search to develop and support a range of supported internships.
These short videos will let you know more about some of the opportunities that young people have benefited from in Bromley.
Watch Aiden's story -
You can also learn about the experience of our supported interns Taylor and Georgina
Taylor's story -
Georgina's story -
Other useful links
Easy read guide to supported internships
National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTI) Internships work