Abbot’s Lea school has been delivering successful Supported Internships for young people with learning difficulties and additional needs since 2018. A Supported Internship is a type of Study Programme which is aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 who have an EHCP. It is an alternative course, based around hands-on learning and breaking down barriers for young people. Internships are a term-time study programme with most learning taking place in the work place, not in school. Throughout the year, interns will work in different areas of work so they can have a varied work experience and find out what roles suit them best. Upon completion, students will have developed the skills needed to progress into sustainable paid employment.

Benefits of a Supported Internships

• Encourages independence
• Workplace experience
• Builds confidence
• Develops transferrable skills
• Raises future aspirations
• Improves social skills
• Become a trailblazer for change: showing other students and employers that disability in the workplace is not an obstacle, but an advantage.

What will I study?

• Employability skills
• A yearlong work placement
• Personalised training relevant to your placement
• Functional Skills Maths and English

Work Placement

Your work placement will form the main part of your Supported Internship. This will give you the opportunity to train to do a job role in a more practical way by learning on-the-job. You will be placed with an employer based on your current skills, interests and ambitions. The role you do will have a clear progression path and will stretch your abilities to ensure you reach your goals. During your time with the employer, you will be trained to do specific tasks relevant to your job role. A Job Coach and workplace mentor will guide and help you through your day-to-day tasks. The placement is unpaid but you will learn valuable work skills which will lead to paid work long-term.

Employability skills

It is important that you have all of the relevant skills you need to achieve your personal and career ambitions. As part of your Supported Internship you will learn a range of employability skills including preparing for employment, team building, workplace safety, technology, self-advocacy, maintaining employment, financial independence and health & wellbeing.

Training

The programme is personalised and you may benefit from other training that will complement the job role you are doing. For example, Health & Safety, Food Safety, Lifting & Handling or Travel Training. You may also be offered the opportunity to study towards larger qualifications that are linked to your job role, such as NVQ’s.

Further Information

Supported Internship information session Feb 2022

For any more information, please contact:

secondary@abbotsleaschool.co.uk (Ryan Mason, Assistant Headteacher for Secondary)