Supported internships
Over the past decade, Hereward College has forged fantastic partnerships with major employers in the West Midlands to create supported internship opportunities for young people with disabilities.
Today we offer a wide range of placements in sectors including automotive, criminal justice, higher education, hospitality, leisure, retail and utilities, with roles including business administration, customer service, housekeeping and manufacturing.
On completion of their 12-month programme many of our interns progress to paid roles, having impressed their host employer.
How do they work?
Supported internships offer an opportunity to gain experience in the workplace within a supported environment.
They provide a platform for young people to further develop their skills and experience in a structured way.
Students take part in the programme with one of our partner employers and spend up to 30 hours a week in working in different areas in the workplace to gain valuable experience with the support of an onsite Hereward Job Coach.
Interns spend one day a week in college studying for a Certificate in Employability Skills and can take maths and English qualifications suitable to their level.
Direct Entry Supported Internships
Are you 18 years or older and have an active EHCP?
Hereward College works closely with a number of major employers in Coventry and Warwickshire who offer work placements for young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
They operate in a wide range of sectors, which include:
• Business administration
• Childcare and education
• Customer services
• Estates management
• Hospitality (catering, housekeeping, front of house)
• Leisure
• Warehousing and distribution
Students take part in the programme with one of our partner employers and spend up to 30 hours a week in different areas in the workplace to gain valuable experience with the support of an onsite Hereward job coach.
A wide range of internships include office-based roles such as customer service, data analytics, IT support, finance, HR, marketing and administration. Outside of the office, interns also work in hospitality and housekeeping as well as in childcare and education.
How can I apply?
You can apply for a direct entry supported internship here – please ensure that you state that you are applying for a supported internship on the online enquiry or application form.
You will then be interviewed by a member of our employment services team who will identify a suitable internship opportunity and arrange an interview with the employer.
If you have any further questions about our direct entry supported internship programme please contact Head of Employment Services Natalie McEnery at natalie.mcenery@hereward.ac.uk.
Case studies
Here are some of our employer partners and short films featuring supported interns at their workplace.
Evtec Automotive
Evtec Automotive produces complex parts for UK car makers including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, McLaren and Aston Martin.
The company has a history of employing people with disabilities and an inclusive approach to employment – more than 40% of the workforce at its Coventry plant has some kind of disability.
Evtec Automotive initially offered work experience placements to Foundation students at Hereward College before becoming a supported internship partner with a job coach based full-time on site to work alongside the students.
The highly successful partnership has seen more than 120 Hereward students hosted by Evtec on work experience programmes including supported internships.
Premier Inn
In 2019 Whitbread invested in a Premier Inn training hotel on-site at Hereward College which includes three bedrooms, reception and storage/housekeeping room .
Job coaches are trained by and alongside Premier Inn staff and students at all levels access the facility for general work experience training linked to customer service, hospitality and housekeeping skills.
This provides learners with the skills to progress into a supported internship or apprenticeship in the hospitality industry.
SES Engineering Services
Engineering students train in an impressive workshop on the college campus, complete with a state-of-the-art assembly line generously equipped by Coventry offsite manufacturing firm SES Engineering.
The firm has employed two Hereward students in the past 12 months at its Prism Manufacturing facility in Coventry following training placements.
Severn Trent Water
We have worked with Severn Trent Water on their innovative EmployAbility scheme for the past decade. This offers our students an internship at Severn Trent to help them gain valuable career skills and experience of working in a large workplace .
The interns, who are supported by a team of Severn Trent graduates who act as buddies, work in a number of departments at the firm’s Coventry headquarters, including the admin, property and river ranger teams.
The utilities firm has taken on a new cohort of interns each year since 2016 and says the scheme has delivered amazing students who have done some absolutely fantastic work.
University of Warwick (Project Search/Warwickshire County Council)
The university offers a variety of supported internships at its Warwick campus, as wide ranging as retail assistant and tour guide.
This year we have interns working at its Sports and Wellness Hub, at Rootes Grocery Store, Warwick Arts Centre and in hospitality roles at Warwick Conferences.
“I can speak from personal experience that disability is never a barrier to work; we have seen better attendance and certainly dedication and loyalty, which are key elements to any successful business.
We have had 11 students being successful in securing paid employment with us since 2021 and 43% of our workforce have some form of disability.”
Jane Billson, Head of HR, Evtec Automotive
Supported internship programme 2023-24
100%
Retention rate
For 34 interns on 12-month employment placements
100%
Pass and achievement rate
For 34 interns on 12-month employment placements
40% - 100%
Of participants going on to gain paid work (depending on the employer)
The national average for adults with a learning disability in employment is 4.8%