Click the below link to find out how to apply.
What is a Supported Internship?
Supported Internships support young people (aged 16 to 24) with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), based in Kent.
We offer 38-week Supported Internships that mirror school terms. Interns attend the workplace 4 days a week and spend 1 day a week improving their employability skills and independence skills.
Supported Internships are unpaid and last for a minimum of six months. Wherever possible, they support the young person to move into paid employment at the end of the programme.
Alongside their time at the place of employment, young people complete a personalised study programme which includes the chance to study for relevant substantial qualifications, if appropriate, and English and maths.
Supported Internships are successful because they offer realistic, challenging and purposeful work placements with exceptional and sustained support from the Job Coach.
As an intern with Forward2Employment, you will receive full support from a Job Coach.
Job Coaches will work alongside you every step of the way. They will help you develop the skills needed to perform and learn your role in the workplace so that you feel confident to perform the tasks safely and efficiently. They will help you to settle into your new work environment and build the confidence to make new friends at work. They will support you to travel independently and be your primary contact on a day to day basis.
Job Coaches identify all the skills the employer needs to have. By breaking down the job into clearly identified tasks, the Job Coach can work with the intern to teach all the necessary skills, In addition, the Job Coach will help the intern understand and cope with the social aspects of work, such as workplace culture, timekeeping, working with other employees, health and safety, travel and using on-site facilities like the canteen.
The benefits of completing an internship with Forward2Employment are:
- Employability skills
- Independence skills
- Communication skills
- Social/Lifeskills – this will include time spent with other interns on this project as well as offsite activities.
- Improve IT skills
- Improved maths and English skills
- Project management skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Teamwork skills
- A recognised work-based qualification
How to Sign Up?
Access to Supported Internships is done through a referral process by your local authority.
In Kent, this will be Kent County Council. The best way of ensuring that we get your referral is to name Forward2Employment in your Annual Review meetings.
Speak to your Student Transition Co-Ordinator or SENCO (usually the person who sits in your annual review) to find out how this can be done.
Testimonials
Former Interns from Forward2Employment stated:
“Having a Job Coach to support us has helped because if I have any questions or am worried about anything my Job Coach helps. If I need any help with work I can ask my Job Coach”
“I have been supported very well by Tina (My Job Coach), during my time as an intern she has been a very good job coach to me I have been trained in all the jobs at Henry Schein. I am now an employee of Henry Schein thanks to the support of my Job Coach”.