Pre-Internships

Pre-Internships are college-based programmes for young adults aged 16-25 who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP). Our aim is to prepare pre-interns to develop self-confidence, as well as specific social and work-related skills, so they can be confident to take decisions regarding their next steps.
Our trained Job Coaches work alongside students at our college base 4 days a week where they will access a varied and engaging curriculum. Pre-Interns access our on-site ‘PAES lab’ – the ‘Practical Assessment Exploration System’. Here, they explore work-based tasks across a variety of roles & industries within the familiarity of their college base.

Confidence-Building

Social Skills Development

Work-Related Skills

College-Based
Content & Curriculum
The content & curriculum of our internship programmes are based in ‘expeditionary-led learning’. Many of our interns have found themselves alienated and uninspired in previous settings and have found more traditional learning models not to be effective for their way of learning. This is why we believe in a ‘hands on’ & person-centred learning experience where our interns can develop their skills, interests and ambitions.
Our Pre-Internship curriculum is based in the following core areas:
We are very proud to be the only UK provision with a PAES Lab.
‘PAES’ stands for ‘Practical Assessment Exploration System’.
The PAES Lab is designed to be as much like a real workplace as possible.
Teachers become Supervisors, and Students become Employees
Employees Clock In/Clock Out, just like a real job
Employees follow an independent work procedure, which guides them through the process of getting their own job materials and calling for supervisors only when necessary
The PAES Lab allows students to explore work tasks across a variety of roles & industries within the familiarity of their college base. This not only allows job coaches to keep track of which areas of work the interns gravitate towards, but also allows students to better understand their skill-sets and shines a light on their talents. This in turn informs decisions ahead of starting their Supported Internships.
Developing an understanding of our feelings and building resilience within the context of the world around us is essential to a positive experience. Accordingly, our in-house counsellor and wellbeing manager has developed a wellbeing curriculum which helps to address the challenges many neurodivergent young people are faced with today.
Our wellbeing curriculum is rooted within the following ‘pillars of wellness’:
- Social Wellness
- Mental Wellness
- Physical Wellness
- Financial Wellness
Trained job coaches creatively explore these areas via a person-centred approach, adjusting and adapting when required. Our aim is to ensure a positive and safe environment to explore pathways to improved wellbeing.
Our Employability curriculum is focused on imparting accessible, practical and actionable knowledge and advice. Our trained job coaches deliver sessions in the following areas:
- Team Building
- Workplace Safety
- Technology at Work
- Self-Advocacy
- Social & Communication Skills in the Workplace
- Finance
- Preparing for Employment
- Maintaining Employment
All of our sessions are delivered with an innovative and person-centred approach, where job coaches will adapt and adjust sessions to ensure students are able to positively access and action the sessions’ content.
We live in a complex, complicated and at times confusing world. Developing a voice within this context can feel challenging, especially if students have not been included in discussions about current affairs before. We believe that listening to the voices and opinions of our young people of vital importance – to us, and to them.
This is why we deliver weekly discussion sessions from ‘Votes For Schools’ – an award-winning organisation amplifying the voices of young people in order to genuinely affect change. These sessions are adapted in order to make challenging topics of conversation accessible to the young people we work with.
Innovation is at the core of who we are here at Lighthouse Futures Trust, and accordingly we recognise that some of our students may have entrepreneurial ambitions outside of traditional employment. That’s why we work with the Realistic Business Consortium who deliver ‘Be Your Own Boss’ – a programme focused on exploring the skills needed for self-employment.
The ‘Be Your Own Boss Programme’ has already nurtured a range of student-led businesses and projects including.:
- Blossom & Light: Candle & Wax Melts Business. The candles have been developed, designed & marketed by our very own students. Check out and support our students work here.
- Eco-Games: Sustainable gaming business looking to tackle overproduction within the gaming industry by encouraging the re-using and re-discovery of old game classics.
- Pre-loved clothing sales: Our students have run and promoted pre-loved & vintage clothing sales, all in the name of raising fund for us as charity.
Many of our students think outside of the box – this is a skill we recognise as incredibly valuable and as something to be celebrated and nurtured.
Some of our students come to us having achieved the required level of qualifications in Maths & English, but many do not. Our Maths & English team recognise that for many of our students, these are lessons they have felt alienated from and have struggled to access in past settings.
That’s why we do things differently. The Maths & English curriculum team devise engaging and accessible sessions, delivered with a person-centred and compassionate approach. Sessions incorporate practical, cross-curricular, ‘real-world’ exercises, which students can practically put into action.
Programme Structure
- Our Pre-Internship is either a 1 or 2 year programme and follows the Leeds City Council academic year. The year is split into 3 terms, Autumn, Spring, and Summer with holidays every 6 – 8 weeks.
- Our Pre-Internship begins in September. Inductions include a range of accessible & neurodivergent-friendly team building activities in order to encourage the development of our students’ personal, social & emotional education from the very start of their time with us.
- Our LFT Job Coaches support students at every step of their experience – including curriculum sessions, support around social development, as well as support in our ‘PAES Lab’ – the ‘Practical Assessment Exploration System’ in which students are supported in exploring tasks related to a variety of industries & work-roles.
- The internship ends in July with a graduation ceromony.
- Most students will move directly onto our Supported Internship programme. Some may move into a second year of our Pre-Internship programme, aimed at bridging the gap for those who aren’t quite ready for work. Some may choose to move onto a different provider. These second-year pre-interns access extra support in preparation for the world of work through visits to our host employers, and others, to develop increased confidence in accessing the workplace.
Intern Testimonials
My Pre-Internship has helped me to be more confident. Last year, I really didn’t think I could be in a workplace, but now I am on a Supported Internship placement and enjoying it."
Lauren, Pre-Internship Alumni
I started as a pre-intern and then moved onto my Supported Internship - and now I'm in work! I'm really good at my job and my manager has said how much they love having me on the team."
Matt, Pre-Internship Alumni
Because of working in the PAES lab, I feel more ready to start my placement with an employer next year."
Mo, Pre-Internship Alumni
Meet Our Second Year
Pre-Interns
This video was written & conceptualised by our Second Year Pre-Internship students for the launch of our TikTok account! (Follow us at @lighthouse_futures_trust over on TikTok, as well as all our other social media accounts for the latest on all things LFT ).
Starring a range of our brilliant pre-interns, the group’s objective for this video was to introduce Lighthouse Futures Trust, as well as shine a light on our incredible pre-internship programme.
In addition to the core curriculum, our Second Year Pre-Internship students access a programme of employer visits and workplace tours. This allows for a smoother transition to their Supported Internships and builds confidence ahead of their next step.