Training for work

Supported Internships

A Supported Internship is a fantastic opportunity for young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), or an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), to gain valuable skills and experience in a real work environment.

Supported Internships are for 16 to 25 year olds who are seeking a pathway into part-time and full-time employment.

A Supported Internship can last from 6 to 9 months and a young person may be developing their skills in a host business for up to 80% of the week. The remaining time is spent learning about an employability skills curriculum, this may include preparing for an interview, or doing functional skills in English and Maths.

The key benefits of a Supported Internship

There are many benefits in doing a Supported Internship. These can include:

Inclusive learning:

• Supported Internships are tailored programs designed to accommodate an individual's needs, skills, and interests
• interns are integrated into supported workplace environments and teams within a business or organisation

Skill development:

• interns gain hands on training in real work settings and may complete a variety of different ‘rotations’ within the same business or organisation
• interns build essential employability skills through job carving. This means they will be creating achievable tasks

Pathway to Employment:

• a Supported Internship programme bridges the gap between education and employment
• a Supported Internship enhances the success of a young person in securing meaningful, inclusive employment

Why you should choose a Supported Internship

Interns will be given a variety of help and support, including:

Personalised Support:

• an intern will work with dedicated job coaches and support staff
• an intern will benefit from regular monitoring to ensure progress, identify any concerns and overcome potential barriers

 Skill focused Curriculum:

• an intern will develop their own practical, job specific training
• an intern will have access to an employability skills curriculum designed to nurture individual talents and abilities

Inclusive Workplaces:

• Supported Internship Programmes are partnerships with employers committed to diversity and inclusion
• programmes foster a better understanding of disability and employers' benefit from receiving training amongst the teams involved

How you can get involved

Speak to your child’s or young person’s school or provision about Supported Internships. You can:

• enquire about available Supported Internship and Pre-Internship programs
• discuss work experience opportunities for your child or young person

Dorset Council’s local providers

We have several local providers who can offer Supported Internships:

• Weymouth College offer Supported Internships and Routes into Employment
• Kingston Maurward College 
• SWRAC (South-West Regional Assessment Centre) 

What you can do next

 Attend an information session to:

• find out about learn more about Supported Internships
• get answers to your questions
• address any concerns you may have

The application process:

You should:

• initiate the application process early
• work closely with educators and support staff

What else we have done to help

A SEND Employment Forum has been developed for:

• local special schools
• colleges
• provisions
• partner organisations
• employers

For example, Dorset Parent Carer Council, Dorset Careers Hub, Dorset Skills (Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

This will involve working with local businesses and organisations who are looking to meet a recruitment need and host Supported Internship programmes or placements.

For more local information, please you can  email Andrew Holland, who is the Project Manager for the Department for Education (DfE) funded Internships Work initiative.

Further information:

• DFN Project search
• BASE (British Association for Supported Employment)  have produced Internships Work
• Supported Internships at Gov.uk

A traineeship:

• is a course with work experience that gets you ready for work or an apprenticeship
• can last up to 6 months
• offers young people support to improve their maths and English alongside training

You don't need to have an EHCP to do a traineeship.

If you do have an EHCP:

• it stays with you while you're doing a traineeship
• the provider of the traineeship will be named in the plan and they must meet the needs specified in your plan

Young people can apply if they:

• are aged between 16 and 24
• are qualified below level 3 (below A level)
• are unemployed and have limited experience

You may be ready for an apprenticeship if you already have some work experience.

Where you can find out more about traineeships

Search for a traineeship near you on the GOV.UK website.

This GOV.UK website also has information to help your child decide if a traineeship would be suitable for them.

You can also contact your local college or training provider to see if they're offering traineeship opportunities. 

Find local colleges in Dorset.

Apprenticeships:

• generally combine training in a job with study
• are available at different levels, from level 2 to level 7
• can take between one and 5 years to complete, depending on the level

Apprentices work alongside experienced staff and earn a wage. 

Apprenticeships and EHCPs

If your child has an EHCP, they can keep it while they're on an apprenticeship. The provider of the apprenticeship will be named in your child's EHCP and this will be reviewed at least once a year. 

In some cases, the provider can apply to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) directly for funding, for example, if they can't pay for your child's additional needs through core funding. 

How to apply for an apprenticeship

Your child can apply for an apprenticeship while they're still at school or when they're in college. To start one, they'll need to be:

• aged 16 or over by the end of the summer holidays
• living in England 
• not in full-time education

Apprenticeships are advertised through:

• the government's apprenticeship website
• our website

Read the Disability Rights UK guide on apprenticeships for people with disabilities.

Find out more about apprenticeships.