Supported Intern FAQs
Please click on each drop-down menu to read the answers to frequently asked questions about Supported Internships.
Do I have to pay for the programme? (click to expand)
No, the program is classed as an educational programme.
Will I get paid whilst I am working? (click to expand)
No, the program is classed as an educational programme.
Will my benefits change by working on this programme? (click to expand)
No, any benefits you receive are not affected during the time of the supported internship placement.
If you progress into paid employment, then your benefits may be affected, but we will work with you to make sure you have the benefits you are entitled to.
Why should I do the internship? (click to expand)
The programme aims to help you become independent and work-ready.
You will be in your placement for 4 days a week and in the learning environment 1 day a week, where you can improve your English and maths. You will also gain vital adult life skills and employability skills.
How long is the Supported Internship Programme? (click to expand)
The programme is full-time for an academic year.
What qualifications will I take? (click to expand)
We will personalise your program of study and it will depend upon your previous achievements and will be tailored to your needs.
What support is there for me to get to and from my placement? (click to expand)
Your Job Coach will support you to become an independent traveller through travel training as part of the program. You will learn the route to and from the work placement and the office where the educational program is taught. We will help you obtain the disabled persons’ bus pass to enable you to use the buses free of charge.
Will I get support? (click to expand)
Yes, you will be allocated a Job Coach who will support you in the workplace and they will help you become part of the team and be by your side initially. This support is gradually reduced when you start to build confidence, but at a rate you are comfortable with.
When completing the educational program, you will be in a small class of up to 10 students. There will also be a teacher and a Job Coach that can help you with your work and setting your own goals. You will also have access to an Employability and Careers Adviser.
Where are the Supported Internships? (click to expand)
Our Supported Internship programme runs from Medway, and we have placements in Medway, Kent and the South East.
We try to find a placement near to you or within easy reach for you. However, this depends on your career goals.
Who can join? (click to expand)
We accept referrals from young adults with learning difficulties and/or autism, who are aged 16 – 24, who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) live in Medway, Kent or the South East.
You must be ready to move on from education and into work and either be an independent traveller or willing to become an independent traveller.
Will I have to work through the school holidays? (click to expand)
The program is designed to follow the academic year, however, depending upon the placement you may have to be flexible to the employer’s needs.
What support is there for me to get to and from my placement? (click to expand)
Your Job Coach will support you to become an independent traveller through travel training as part of the program. You will learn the route to/from the work placement and the office where the educational program is taught. We will help you obtain the disabled persons’ bus pass to enable you to use the buses free of charge.
Transcript (click to read)
Rob: Who will support me throughout my Supported Internship?
So all of our interns receive individualised support from staff, who we call Job Coaches.
Job Coaches help you day to day, both in the work placement and your education days throughout your qualifications as well.
How long is the Supported Internship?
So a Supported Internship is a 38-week programme that mirrors normal term times that you would find in a school.
So you do have Christmases and your Easters off as well, and it is a year’s programme with the idea of hopefully gaining full-time employment at the end of it.
Who can join the programme? What’s the criteria?
The only criteria that we ask for a Supported Internship is that you’re aged between 16 & 24 and that you have an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP).
Do I have to pay for a Supported Internship?
Absolutely not.
The Supported Internship is a further education programme, meaning that it is full-time education, and therefore, you do not have to pay anything to be an intern or to come join us at Forward2Employment.
Will I be supported with travelling?
Yes! Absolutely, you will be supported with travelling.
Our Job Coaches not only help you in a workplace but we also help you to become independent and a big part of that is travelling to and from the work placement and back again as well.
Will my benefits change by working on this programme?
No benefits will not change as this is a further education provider and Forward2Employment is a further education programme, there should be no changes to your benefits that you currently receive.
For more information regarding our Supported Internships for young people, click this link: https://www.forward2employment.co.uk/supported-internship/