Supported Internships for Businesses
What is a Supported Internship?
Supported Internships are available to young people who are aged 16 to 24 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), aimed at helping students take their first step into the world of work.
Supported Internships at Totton College is a one-year course designed to help students develop their skills in customer service.
Why consider Supported Internships for your business?
No cost implications – the course is funded by the government. This makes it an affordable way to bring in new talent, as you do not need to allocate a budget for intern wages or course costs, allowing your organisation to focus resources on mentorship and training instead.
Easier recruitment – Our vocational profiles are designed to match the right young person to the right job by identifying their unique skills, strengths, and interests. This ensures that each person is placed in a role where they can thrive and contribute effectively to your business.
Continual professional development for your staff – Mentoring opportunities allow your staff to develop valuable skills such as leadership, communication, and problem-solving. These experiences not only support their personal and professional growth but also encourage better teamwork, improve collaboration, and foster a more supportive and inclusive workplace culture.
No obligation to offer paid employment at the end of the course – The main aim is to give young people work experience, while your business benefits from their enthusiasm and hard work during their time with you.
The chance to help young people – By offering a Supported Internship, you’re helping young people gain confidence, learn new skills, and prepare for their future careers. It’s also a great way to show your business cares about supporting the next generation and giving back to the community.
Benefits of a Supported Internship for your business
By offering work placements for Supported Internships, you can:
Nurture and develop the skills and qualities you need for your business by extended mentoring and assessment of the young person’s suitability. This will enable you to tailor tasks to fit your business needs and ethos and support confidence and progression for the supported intern.
Save on recruitment costs and improve recruitment prospects – Supported Internships are a cost-effective way to find and try out potential new employees. Since the course is funded by the government, you don’t have to pay for training or support. If you decide to hire the intern after the course, you save money on recruitment costs, and you gain an employee who already knows your business and is a good fit for your team. You could consider offering them an apprenticeship!
Gain respect and lead the way in developing an inclusive and diverse workforce as a disability confident employer, increasing your access to new customers. Teamwork relies on everyone doing their bit to ensure a good job is done, not everyone doing every job regardless of their ability to do it.
Find out more about Supported Internships
If you are interested in hiring a supported intern, please contact us at Sharon Fern at sfern@totton.ac.uk for further information.
