What are Supported Internships?
We offer Supported Internships for young people who want to work in competitive employment. The unpaid Supported Internships form part of the intern’s education and equips young people with special educational needs and disabilities with the skills needed for adulthood and employment.
The programme takes place in a business setting. Learners are totally immersed in the workplace, learning through continuous feedback, and gaining real employability and competitive work skills.
Who is it for?
- Are you 16-25 years old with an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plan?
- Do you have autism or a related learning difficulty?
- Would you like to get a paid job in the future?
- Are you an independent traveller?
If you answered yes to the above, a Supported Internship with Ambitious College could be the opportunity for you!
How we support you
Individualised internships and job development continue throughout the year. These are based on an individual’s strengths, skills, and interests. Interns are supported through on-the-job coaching and improvement strategies, the ultimate goal being to help them obtain paid employment and live independently.
This is an exciting opportunity for young people who are eligible to learn a wide variety of skills ranging from housekeeping, administration, portering, and customer service.
You can find out more by downloading our factsheet for young people and parents.
Benefits of Supported Internships
Supported Internships are a great opportunity for young people with autism to combine work with their education. Benefits of a supported internship include:
- learning new skills that could be used in future employment
- building confidence and life skills
- support from trained job coaches to help you succeed increase social networks
- opportunities to gain accredited and practical qualifications.
Our Partnership Model
Ambitious College, using the Project Search model, works with the Whittington Hospital to support interns develop workplace skills.
The programme runs from September for one academic year, with interns based at the Whittington five days a week.
Supported Internships also benefit employers to learn what young people with additional needs can contribute and achieve.
Virtual open days
We are now accepting applications for September 2021. Until government advice changes, we can no longer host open days and interviews at the hospital. Instead, we are conducting them virtually.
There are a number of ways we can share information about the programme:
- download our information pack
- arrange a telephone call or book a virtual meet and greet with the supported internship team.
You can find out more by booking a virtual open day and Q&A session.
Find out more about Supported Internships
If you would like more information about the Supported Internship programme, please contact our Admissions team at admissions@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk with the subject line: 'Supported Internships'.
