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:
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: