Pathways to Employment

What is a supported internship?

A supported internship is a study programme that includes an unpaid work experience offered by a local employer which will last between 6 and 12 months. The aim of the supported internship is to prepare you for paid employment.

Who can access a supported internship?

You can access a supported internship if you're aged 16 to 24 years old and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or learning difficulty assessment and want to move into employment but need extra support to do so. There are no entry or completion requirements, and each learning provider will work with you to develop a personalised programme that meets your needs and provides progression.

Young people accessing a supported internship require a higher level of support than a trainee or apprentice.

What support will I be offered in a supported internship?

You will be offered work-place support in form of a job coach, as well as support for your non-work place learning.

What is good about a supported internship?

• It supports you to develop the skills valued by employers
• It enables you to demonstrate your value in the work place
• You develop confidence in your own abilities to perform successfully at work
• You can build up experience for a CV, demonstrating that you have the skills and willingness to work
• It can help to change the perception of employers about employing people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities
• It can help to change the perception of your family – proving that you can work
• You can improve your skills in English and maths, enabling you to be better prepared for work, including handling money, interacting with the public and practising interview skills
• You can learn to become an independent traveller.

How do I find and apply for a supported internship?

You can find details of employers who offer supported internships on the Employment is for Everyone website. In Doncaster, we have several local providers who offer supported internships:

• Choices College
• Communication Specialist College Doncaster*
• Doncaster College
• Stone Hill School
• The Ridge Employability College

*Please note - Communication Specialist College only offers supported internships to young people who have previously studied at the college.

What is an apprenticeship?

An apprenticeship is a paid job where the employee learns and gains valuable experiences. Alongside on-the-job training, apprentices spend at least 20% of their working hours completing classroom-based learning with a college, university or training provider which leads to a nationally recognised qualification. 

An apprenticeship includes: 

• paid employment with holiday leave 
• hands-on-experience in a sector/role of interest
• at least 20% off-the-job training 
• formal assessment which leads to a nationally recognised qualification

What are the levels of apprenticeships?

There are four different levels of apprenticeships which each level having an equivalent educational level. After Year 11 there are two types of apprenticeship that are available, Level 2: Intermediate (equivalent of 5 GCSEs) and Level 3: Advanced (equivalent of 2 A Levels). The Higher and Degree Level apprenticeships are only eligible to young people if they have a Level 3 qualification already.

You can apply for an apprenticeship while you’re still at school. To start one, you’ll need to be:

• 16 or over
• not in full-time education
• living in England.

What is good about an apprenticeship?

• You will work alongside experienced staff
• You gain job-specific skills
• You earn a wage and get holiday pay
• You study towards a related qualification (usually one day a week)
• You’re not left with large ‘uni’ debts when you have completed the course.

How do I find and apply for an apprenticeship?

Doncaster Council and Doncaster College both offer apprenticeships. Alternatively, you can find an apprenticeship on the gov.uk website. 

An internship is a period of work that gives people – mostly students or graduates – the opportunity to gain new skills and experience in a profession they want to get into. They are great for young people to learn new skills, and can range in length from a couple of weeks to several months or even a year.

Work experience can be called a ‘placement’ or an ‘internship’. Internships are sometimes understood to be positions requiring a higher level of qualification than other forms of work experience, and are associated with gaining experience for a professional career. However, the term ‘intern’ has no legal status under minimum wage law. Entitlement to the minimum wage does not depend on what someone is called, the type of work they do, how the work is described (such as ‘unpaid’ or ‘expenses only’) or the profession or sector they work in. What matters is whether the agreement or arrangement they have with the young person makes them a worker for minimum wage purposes. See ‘Who gets the minimum wage’.

Some forms of work experience, including placements and internships, may be referred to as ‘unpaid work’ or ‘expenses only’, where someone gives their services free of charge in order to develop or maintain their skills. Organisations offering such positions should check if the person is a volunteer for minimum wage purposes or if an exemption applies. If the person is not a genuine volunteer and is not exempt, then the employer must pay them at least the minimum wage.

Volunteering involves doing unpaid work in different industries and contributing to the community. It allows you to gain experience in various industries, improve skills and form connections with others. Volunteer work often has a flexible schedule, which benefits young people who may be busy with other tasks.

The term ‘work experience’ generally refers to a specified period of time that a person spends with a business, during which they have an opportunity to learn directly about working life and the working environment.

Some work experience positions offer people the chance to try their hand at particular tasks, others simply provide an opportunity to watch and learn. The nature, length and arrangements for work experience vary greatly. Someone’s entitlement to the minimum wage will depend on whether the work experience offered makes the individual a worker for minimum wage purposes.

The Health Adjustment Passport can be used if you have a disability or health condition that makes it harder for you to move into work or stay in a job*.

You can use it to:

• Support you to identify what support and changes (known as reasonable adjustments) you may need when you are in work or moving into work
• Apply for support from Access to Work. This could include funding for specialist equipment to support you to do your job, support getting to and from work or support when you are in work, such as job coaching
• Help you talk to employers about adjustments and in-work support that you may need

*A job could also include self-employment, an apprenticeship, work experience or a supported internship.

Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability.

The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for:

• A grant to help pay for practical support with your work
• Support with managing your mental health at work
• Money to pay for communication support at job interviews

Employment Is For Everyone is a social movement aiming to improve the employment opportunities for autistic people and people with a learning disability. 

My Employment Plan is a tool created by people with lived experience and employment organisations across South Yorkshire to help a person and their employer talk about and agree things that might help them both in the work place.