Supported Internships
Our Supported Internship Programme helps young adults aged 18–25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) gain real work experience and develop the skills and confidence they need to move towards paid employment.
Welcome
Eva
Hi, I’m Eva and I’m one of the Co-Leads of the Supported Internship Programme here at Lighthouse Futures Trust. I’m really pleased that you’re considering joining us and taking your next step towards work through a Supported Internship.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about Supported Internships, including who they’re for, what you’ll do, the support you’ll receive and how to apply.
Craig
I’m also one of the Co-Leads of the Supported Internship Programme here at Lighthouse Futures Trust. We’re here to help you understand what a Supported Internship is, explore whether it’s right for you and support you throughout your journey with us.
If you have any questions, come and meet us at one of our open events. We’d love to meet you, show you around and help you find out if a Supported Internship is right for you.
Meet the interns
Wondering if a supported internship is for you? Read what our interns think about the programme and how it has helped them. Click on the images below to find out what they’ve been doing and where they have been working.
Watch also these videos from Employability & Skills Leeds and Leeds City Council Leeds which explain more about internships.
Read our Admissions Procedure to find out how to apply for a supported internship with us. Click the button below.
Students access an engaging curriculum whilst at college and in the workplace, delivered by expert Job Coaches and Tutors. Our approach is to use “expeditonary-led” learning which encourages interns to take greater responsiblity for their own learning. Many have found themselves alienated and uninspired in previous learning settings and have found traditional models not to be effective for their way of learning. This is why we believe in a ‘hands on’ & person-centred learning experience.
Our Supported Internship curriculum is based in the following core areas below. Click on the images below to read more.
Programme Structure
- Our Supported Internship is a 1 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.
- The internship begins in September. Students spend their first weeks completing their induction with us at our college base in Headingley, as well as participating in our placement ‘Inspiration Days’.
- ‘Inspiration days’ allow students to experience a variety of our placement options by visiting employer sites, as well as participating in role-taster tasks. This allows students to determine which specific placement is right for them.
- Once students have completed their college-based induction & have attended at least 3 Inspiration Days, they will then receive an official offer of an internship with one of our host employers.
- Students then begin their internship placement in mid to late October. Our Job Coaches support students at every step – both in their work-placement and college-based work.
- The internship ends in July with a graduation on completion. Our aim is for students to be moving into paid employment upon completion of the programme (with additional support in this transition if required).
Our Job Coaches
Our supported interns are joined on-site at their work placement by a team of dedicated job coaches. Trained to help our young people to grow and flourish in their roles, the job coaches are assigned to groups of interns so there is always a familiar face at work, someone they can turn to as often, or as little, as they need to.
Job coaches also accompany their interns into college and support them in looking for and applying for paid employment. They support our interns to get where they want to be, giving guidance on how to be in and thrive in the workplace.
Meet our employers
We offer internship placements across a wide range of sectors, so you can explore different types of work and find a placement that matches your interests, strengths and goals.
Catering & Hospitality · Finance & Administration · Gardening & Horticulture · Sales & Operations · And many more
Our employer partners
We’re proud to work with a diverse range of employers who are committed to creating inclusive opportunities for our interns.
Our employer partners include:
John Lewis & Partners · Crag House Farm · NHS Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust · Citu · NHS SBS · Arla Foods · Sodexo · KPMG · Leeds City Council Housing Department and more.
Interns are based at these employer sites either 3 or 4 days a week, gaining skills in real-life work placements.
We also offer a bespoke internship programme called Branching Out which focuses on gardening, landscaping & horticulture skills – rather than being based with an employer or in an office, you would be based at a variety of locations for 3 days a week.
At the beginning of a supported internship, interns are given the opportunity to test out different placements through our ‘Inspiration Days’ to find the one that’sright for them.
Watch the film and visit the pages below to read more about some of our employers, or visit the main Employer pages here.
Testimonials
“My Supported Internship with Lighthouse Futures Trust is the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve left with great friends, I finally passed my maths qualification, and I’m in a job I love.”
“I have graduated Lighthouse Futures Trust with a job, and I’ve made my best friends here too.”
“My Supported Internship with Lighthouse Futures Trust has changed my life. I’ve gone on to do things I never thought I’d be able to. I now work for the NHS doing a job I’m really proud of, with a team who understand me.”
Joe, Supported Intern Alumni
Megan, Supported Intern Alumni
Josh, Supported Intern Alumni
Supported internship or apprenticeship?
For young people with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) it often isn’t the case of choosing whether to do a supported internship or an apprenticeship, but rather doing both. A supported internship will give you the extra help and guidance you need to work towards getting an apprenticeship.
For this reason, you’ll always find us at the annual Leeds Apprenticeship Recruitment Fair at First Direct Arena. If you’re thinking about going on to apply for an apprenticeship, speak to us about how we can help.
Reverse Job Fair
All our supported interns are offered the chance to attend a Reverse Job Fair. These sessions work similarly to a careers fair with the one difference being that our interns are behind the desk and recruiters come to speak to them.
Employers always comment on how confident our interns are and the events are always a fun and happy experience and we often find that supported interns pick up real connections to pursue for paid employment.
