Supported internships

Supported internships are for young people between the ages of 16-25 who have an education health and care plan.

What does the internship involve?

In most cases, the internship will last for a year and includes an unpaid work placement of at least 6 months. This can be with one or more employers.

You will learn new skills through a personalised study plan at City College Plymouth. This could include learning to handle money or interacting with the public. A Job Coach will support you and work with you and your employer.

There is a range of internships available. These include health care, horticulture and catering.

In some cases, the employer may offer you a job at the end of the internship.

Find out more about the health care supported internship 'Project Search'

What will I gain from doing a supported internship?

A supported internship will allow you to:

learn specific skills for your work placement
gain qualifications such as in Maths and English
build experience for your CV
develop skills to get paid employment after your internship
build your confidence and meet new people

Which education providers offer the programme?

You can complete a supported internship through City College.

New internships scheme for young people with learning difficulties

Funding during your internship

Support internships are unpaid, but you can apply for an Access to Work grant. This will help to pay for costs associated with your work placement. This could be travel expenses, support workers and specialist equipment.

You will be unable to get job seekers allowance but you can:

apply for personal independence payment (PIP)
continue to receive disability living allowance (DLA) (if already doing so)

Plymouth's Local Offer is organised into four main categories covering the following age ranges:

Plymouth Local Offer homepage

Is the information correct?

Let us know if the information on this page is wrong and needs to be updated.