Supported Internships

With a supported internship you can work and study at the same time. Learning is provided by an education provider, such as a school or college.

SEND Live 2024

We are very thankful to all our wonderful young people who came from local special schools to do the work experience opportunities. They worked in catering, IT, or event management, and we appreciated their time and dedication. 

We would also like to highlight the wonderful job our interviewer Maisy. You can download and read Maisy’s experience of SEND live to find out what she got up to.

You can watch this video to learn more about SEND Live.

What will the learning be like?

The work element of a supported internship will be provided by an employer who will give you a job for the number of days agreed as part of your internship programme.  

Supported Internships last between 6 and 12 months depending on the programme.

Learning time is split into 2 parts: 

• Learning in the workplace 
• Learning with an education provider (school or college)

Supported interns spend about 70% of their learning time in the workplace.  

Instant Expert: You can find out more about supported internships by downloading this information flier. Alternatively there is an easy-read copy. 

Who can get a Supported Internship? 

Supported internships are specifically for young people aged 16-25 who have an education and health care plan (EHCP).

The aim of a supported internship is to provide young people with an EHC plan a route into sustainable paid employment.  

Take Action: Find out more about supported internships by downloading this young person's supported internship evaluation. 

How can I apply?

Oxfordshire Employment in partnership with Activate Oxford and Banbury have spaces on our successful SMART internship course starting in September 2024 . Contact the team to find out more.

To start your journey towards a supported internship, please contact the team at Oxfordshire Employment. 

Take Action: Find out more about opportunities with Oxfordshire Employment.

What about pay? 

An employer can pay an intern if they choose. However, because it is a study programme, it is not expected for the learner to be paid. At the end of the internship the learner may be offered employment. At this point the former intern would be paid as an employee.

There is no requirement for Supported Internships to be paid and they are exempt from Minimum Wage regulations. 

Instant Expert: In this Young Person's Supported Internship Journey you can find out what it's like to an internship.

What will you learn? 

What Supported Interns learn depends on their goals for their programme and where their work placement is.

They will learn skills relevant to their job in the workplace and will have a chance to show their value to the employer.

Good to know: Supported Internships also involve more traditional learning through the education provider, such as English and Maths where appropriate.    

What qualifications can you receive? 

The learning programme provided by the education provider is personalised to each individual. This means that you may get the chance to study for relevant qualifications, including English and Maths if appropriate.

This will be discussed with the education provider as part of agreeing the learning programme.  

Instant Expert: Download this information flier to learn more about supported internships. 

Who will support you? 

All Supported Interns have a trained job coach working with them. The job coach will support the young person in their workplace. 

Experience: "I think its quite a nice thing if you aren’t completely ready for work yet. They don’t push you too hard, I like it and I’m sure someone else would enjoy it too. It’s a great bridge between college and work and they make sure you aren’t thrown completely into the deep end. It has helped boost my confidence and I am sure it would help others as work can be seen as very scary. I feel it’s not as scary anymore, it’s getting better. I’m not completely thinking about it all the time anymore. It's been a good experience overall." 

- Experience of a local young Intern.