Internship scheme puts students in the money
IN the last month three students at Hereward College have secured paid employment as a direct result of the college’s supported internship programme.
As a college for young people with disabilities and additional needs, Hereward provides its learners with a varied curriculum that focuses on skills for independent living and employment.
Supported internships are a work-based study programme aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 who have an education, health and care plan, and need extra support to move into employment.
Hereward College’s students have been flourishing on a programme set up by UHCW and Coventry City Council’s Employment and Wellbeing Service as part of their highly successful Changing Futures Together programme.
Adam Hunt has recently started at UHCW as a porter with ISS, which provides UHCW’s soft services. Adam’s job coach, Caroline Jones at Hereward College said: “Adam has achieved so much and grown in confidence since he started the internship at UHCW in September.
“His hard work and incredibly positive work ethic were quickly identified by his supervisors and made him the perfect fit for the role.”
The college also works in partnership with WM Housing Group, which has offered positions to students Mikael Casey and Kane Pitt due to their participation in the programme and successful applications for permanent jobs when they became available.
Claire Hardwick, head of community investment at WM Housing, said: “We are delighted that Mikael and Kane have both secured permanent paid positions within our finance and clean works teams. They have both worked so hard on their internships with us and we are sure they will make a real success of their new roles within the organisation.
“The staff at WM Housing also benefit enormously by working alongside the supported interns and seeing how they have grown and developed in confidence and skills during the course of their supported internship.”
Statistics show that people with learning difficulties have a 7 per cent likelihood of finding paid employment and supported internships are increasingly successful in providing a platform for young people with disabilities to further develop their skills and experience in a structured way.
A supported internship is available to all young people aged 16-24 who have an EHC plan and are keen to get into employment.
The college works with a range of partner employers and the young people spend up to 30 hours a week working in different areas to gain valuable experience with the support of an on-site Hereward job coach.
The interns also spend one day a week at Hereward College to study a City & Guilds qualification in employability skills and can take maths and English qualifications suitable to their level.
If you are interested in applying for a supported internship or are an employer interested in working with the college contact employability@ hereward.ac.uk
www.hereward.ac.uk/ employment-hub