Our Internships

Our interns are young adults aged 16-25 who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) and who have identified employment as their next step. They have a range of support needs; some have mild to moderate learning disabilities, others are Autistic or neurodivergent in other ways, and some have social and emotional health support needs.

Our internships are transformative programmes which aim to empower our students and support them in fulfilling their ambitions. We do this while also supporting our employer hosts to create neurodivergent-friendly workplaces. We offer two core internship programmes:

Supported Internships

Our Supported Internships are work-based programmes for young adults aged 18-25 who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). Our Supported Interns may require adjustments and extra support in order to access the workplace before becoming fully independent.

Supported Internships offer real-life experience with a range of employers offering a variety of roles including: healthcare, retail, scientific research, finance, horticulture, data analysis & more.

Pre-Internships

Our Pre-Internships are college-based programmes for young adults aged 16-25 who have an EHCP. Our Pre-Interns may require extra support ahead of accessing our work-based Supported Internship programme.

Pre-Internships offer a bespoke, engaging and person-centred experience. They follow a model of exploratory learning which helps interns develop new skills and build on their independence and self-confidence.

Download: Information Pack
Please find an overview of our offer in the pack below

FAQs

How do I decide which programme is best for me or my young person?

Our admissions procedure allows for our SENCO & Head of Education to get to know the young person applying to Lighthouse Futures Trust and vice versa. This means we’ll get a good understanding of which programme would meet their needs and enable them to thrive.

How long are the internship programmes?

Both programmes start in September and end in July. However, our Pre-Internship has a second year pathway for students who would benefit from additional time on the programme. Find more information on the structure of our internships within the respective links above.

What is the eligibility criteria?

The first requirement is that your aim is to be in paid employment within 1-3 years. All interns also need to have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP). Pre-interns need to be between the ages of 16-25, Supported Interns between 18-25. There are no minimum entry requirements for Maths or English. Find out more about our Admissions Procedure here.

What kinds of employer placements are offered through a Supported Internship?

We are very fortunate to work with incredible, supportive and inclusive employer hosts, with Diversity & Inclusion at the heart of their organisations. These include John Lewis & Partners, NHS Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust, NHS SBS, Arla Foods, HMRC, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG and Sodexo. Read more about our employer placements here.