Supported Internships overview
Supported Internships are a one-year transition-to-work programme for young adults with special educational needs. Interns complete their internship in a real workplace with the support of a job coach, tutor and department mentor. It helps interns to successfully transition into adult life and work towards full-time paid employment.
Each intern has three rotations that last three months each. This enables interns to work within different departments and teams, alongside colleagues, and gain valuable training and insights into employment skills. On occasion, the final rotation is an externship, where the intern moves out of the host business to a local employer, that is better matched to their skills and future employment goals.
Supported Internships lead to work for many of the young people, often with the host or externship organisation with which they completed their internship.
Outcomes
- Gaining transferable skills to assist in moving towards meaningful and sustainable paid employment.
- Experience a range of different job roles in different departments.
- Increased confidence and raised aspirations for the future.
- Improved health and well-being, and a sense of achievement and belonging.
Successes 2024/25
5 Ways to Wellbeing
Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to help improve your mental health and wellbeing, these are connect, be active, take notice, keep learning and give. Our wellbeing programmes consider these steps and are designed to help young people deal with daily challenges.
Gatsby Benchmarks
All our programmes are mapped against the Gatsby Benchmarks. The benchmarks were updated in May 2025 and include updates to each summary and set of measurable criteria. View the Careers guidance and access for education and training providers.
