Hull City Council has a new video on Supported Internships and how they are supporting young people in Hull gain valuable work experience.
The council have been working hard to increase the number of young people accessing Supported Internship programmes locally. Working with a range of partners including, Hull College, Bishop Burton College, Wilberforce College, DFN Project Search, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and employers such as Asda, Humberside Police and the City Health Care Partnership, they have managed to increase the take up in Hull to over three times the national average.
To continue this growth, the council have published a new information video on Supported Internships to help more young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) move into work.
Supported internships are structured, work-based programmes for 16 to 24-year-olds with an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) who want to get into employment but need a bit of extra support.
A supported internship programme includes a work placement, facilitated by a job coach and tutor, with additional support from workplace mentors and managers. They offer young people the chance to gain meaningful experience of the workplace and transferable skills that can lead to sustained paid employment.
This video was commissioned by Hull City Council’s Connexions team, with funding from the Department for Education’s Internships Work initiative. It gives an insight into Supported Internships and highlights the experience of local young people with SEND who have accessed a supported internship and the difference this has made to their lives.
Supported Internships have already helped many young people in Hull, including Jack and Charlie:
Jack
Hull City Council supported Jack to participate in a DFN Project Search Supported Internship through City Health Care Partnership (CHCP). He experienced three work placements during his year on the internship. Two were at Rossmore Care Home preparing food trays for elderly residents, making sandwiches and desserts and ensuring the fridges were kept stocked. He also worked as a recycling operative at Sodexo (Smith and Nephew).
After graduating from the internship, Jack received post-programme support through the Project Search Job Club. He remained focused on his goal of finding work in a supportive environment. He actively engaged in job search with support at home and volunteered at FareShare. With guidance from his job coach and tutor at the post-internship Job Club and one to one support from his Connexions Participation Adviser, Jack became more confident in identifying suitable vacancies and navigating job websites independently. He created a targeted CV tailored to his skills and goals and also received practice with interview skills. Jack’s internship and the follow up at the job club resulted in him finding employment as a stock assistant.
Jack feels that the internship has given him more confidence. He said: “I thought they were very helpful work placements. It has helped me get work ready.” On the support he has had after the programme, he said: “Coming to the Job Club when I was stuck getting a job, helped me look for jobs and I now feel more confident with writing CVs and with interviews.”
Charlie
Charlie is a former pupil from Malet Lambert School, with a diagnosis of autism and an EHCP. With support from Hull City Council, Charlie joined Project Search having completed a course at Wilberforce College. Charlie said he was “shy, quiet and kept to myself” before starting Project Search. He had no plans for the future at that point because he didn’t have any expectations. His supported internship helped Charlie gain valuable experience in administration with City Health Care Partnership at The Beacon and in hospitality at the Jean Bishop Centre. He also worked in IT services and the reception at Sodexo (Smith & Nephew) and showed a real talent for mastering different IT systems. His skills impressed City Health Care Partnership, who have offered him an administration apprenticeship at the GP Service in East Hull.
Charlie felt that his supported internship taught him new IT skills and given him more confidence in meeting people and making friends. He is less anxious and feels positive about the future. Charlie is now learning to drive to help get himself to work more easily. He said he has “better expectations” for himself now and his plans for the future are “to live the life I want to have and help my family”. He thanked Project Search and the partners involved in delivering supported internships, for believing in him and pushing him to try new experiences.
Councillor Linda Tock, the portfolio holder for Children’s Services at Hull City Council, said: “Young people with learning disabilities bring a lot of value to the workforce and Supported Internships are one way we can help them build a career.
“Supported internships help open the door to the world of work for many young people that otherwise might face challenges in finding employment.
“The council’s ambition is to make sure all young people in Hull have access to inclusive opportunities in education and skills in order to reach their potential and enable them into employment. Supported Internships are one way we can help make this happen.”
For more information surrounding supported internships, please contact Hull City Council on supported.internships@hullcc.gov.uk or visit the ground floor of Princess Quay on Wednesday 26 March, between 10.00am and 6.00pm for the council’s latest Post-16 Options and Preparation for Adulthood Event.
This annual event aims to inform young people with SEND from year 9 upwards about their options after they turn 16 and help them with their preparation for adulthood. Post-16 education and training providers will be in attendance, including adult social care providers and key agencies that support transition. Colleagues from health, the DWP and the voluntary sector will also be on hand. This year’s event will feature information on Supported Internships to raise awareness of this option as a route into employment for young adults with an EHCP.
Watch the video below:
