Some of the supported interns that were at the event have only been with us since September, and some of them, back then, would not have said ‘Boo’ to the proverbial goose. Yet here they were, sat next to their peers chatting away about what they do at their work placement, what their key skills are, and asking questions about where the employers they met work. Again…nailed it.
The pure joy and pride of watching them in their stride. You just can’t describe it. So, do supported internships work? You bet they do. The magic of having someone who has been in work themselves on hand through the day, and a trained work buddy who knows exactly what you need and just the right way to explain things to you. It really is quite magical see.
Am I biased? Maybe. But, as I’ve only been with the organisation for as long as some of the interns, it’s still quite phenomenal to witness. I guess this is the feeling a parent has when you can see them being ready to fly the nest.
If you’ve still not met our supported interns then I encourage you to. They have some exceptional skills and some of them are still looking for positions at the end of their internships. Get in touch if you have a role you think one of them would like and we’ll see what we can do!
Sometimes people surprise you. I think that was the take away from this morning’s Reverse Job Fair at Nexus Leeds. I know that our supported interns are some of the kindest and most welcoming, personable people I’ve ever worked with, but take them completely out of the comfort zone, into new surroundings and meeting people they’ve never met… Nailed it.