Supported Internships

A Supported Internship is a type of Study Programme. It is specifically aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 with learning difficulties and/or disabilities who have an EHCP and would therefore benefit from extra support to gain employment. It is an alternative to course-based learning to offer you more hands-on learning. This will help you develop the confidence in your own abilities to perform successfully at work. Upon completion you will have developed the skills needed to enable you to progress into sustainable paid employment.

Supported Internships – Host Employers

We have partnered with DFN Project Search to offer opportunities with Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Liverpool City Council from September 2022.

The internships will be delivered entirely at the host placement where students will have a full programme of study. Throughout the year, interns will work in three different areas of work so they can have a varied working experience and to find what roles suit them best. The aim is for interns to gain employment at the end of the programme.

Example roles include Kitchen Porter, Health Care Assistant, Porter, Waste Management Operative or Blood Porter.

Benefits of Supported Internships

  • Builds confidence
  • Encourages independence
  • Real world experience
  • Develops skills that are transferable
  • Promotes future aspirations
  • Improves social skills with different people

What will I study?

The Supported Internship will consist of:

  • A substantial work placement
  • Employability skills
  • Personalised training

Work Placement

Your work placement will form the main part of your Supported Internship. This will give you the opportunity to train to do a job role in a more practical way by learning on-the-job. You will be placed with an employer based on your current skills, interests and career ambitions. The role you do will have clear progression and will stretch your abilities to ensure you reach your personal career goals. During your time with the employer, you will be trained to do specific tasks for a job role. A Job Coach, employability tutor, and workplace mentor will guide and help you through your day-to-day tasks. The placement is unpaid but you will learn valuable work skills during your time on the Supported Internship.

Employability skills

It is important that you have the skills to get on in life and achieve your personal and career ambitions. As part of your Supported Internship you will learn a range of employability skills including preparing for employment, team building, workplace safety, technology, self-advocacy, maintaining employment, financial literacy and health and wellness.

Personalised training

The programme is personalised and you may benefit from other training that will compliment the job role you are doing. For example, Health & Safety, Food Safety, Lifting & Handling or Travel Training. You may also be offered the opportunity to study towards a relevant larger qualification that is linked to your job role.

Greenbank College is one of the educational partners for the Intern to Work Liverpool project who are working together with employers to increase the number of young people with additional support needs in work.