Local employers encouraged to help young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) into work placements

Wednesday, 10 April 2024 17:48

Walsall Council is encouraging local businesses to take part in a government-funded programme which provides internships for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

The Supported Internships programme helps young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan gain the skills they need to transition from education into paid employment.

It offers a structured, work-based study programme for 16 to 24-year-olds and the aim is for interns to gain the skills and confidence to achieve their long-term goals and become independent.

Placements typically last between six to nine months and combine work experience and study in an educational setting, with learners developing maths, English, customer service and work engagement skills.

The programme is funded by the Department for Education.

Supported Internships are available through Walsall Council, Walsall College and Juniper Training. For further information and general enquiries, please contact the Endless Possibilities at Walsall Council via email EndlessPossibilities@walsall.gov.uk or one of the providers.

Helena Baxter, Apprenticeship Programme Lead at Walsall Council, said, “Supported internships help transform lives and benefit both young people and employers in the borough.

“Young people gain the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a working environment. For employers, offering supported internships helps build a more diverse workforce and gives back to the community. It can offer a risk-free way of adding new talent to their workforce at no cost, with the potential for interns to become permanent members of staff in their organisation.

“If you’re a business in Walsall and would like to find out more about taking part in the supported internships programme, we would love to hear from you.”

Walsall Council has been running a pilot programme since September 2023 and currently has several young people in internships across the council. One success story from the programme is Jermima, who is currently completing a supported internship at Streetly Community Library.

Jermima said, “I really enjoy helping the customers with their enquiries. It's always something that I have wanted to do, helping people.

“It opens up so many options for you and it’s just a great experience.”