Find out about how to make this website easier to use - accessibility features

Skip to content
Wakefield Local Offer

Employment - steps towards getting a job

Getting a job is an important part of becoming an adult, and it can sometimes feel a bit tricky. 
When you are at school or college you should have a discussion with a careers advisor about the sort of work you want to do when you leave. If you want to start work as soon as you finish school or college, it’s a good idea to start looking and applying for jobs about 3 months before you leave.
You can get more help from Wakefield Council's STEP-UP. You can find out more about them here STEP-UP - Wakefield Council .

There is also a free Transition to Employment Toolkit from Ambitious About Autism.
Young people, parents, carers and professionals can all use it to get helpful tips about finding work.

Employers, just like schools and colleges, have to make changes to help young people with SEND so they can do their job well. Starting a new job can feel tricky at first, but you might be able to get extra help to make things easier. You can find out about a scheme called Access to Work here. Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK

You might feel like you’re not ready for a job yet, and that’s okay. There are other ways to learn new skills, like apprenticeships or supported internships, which can help you get ready for work.
Apprenticeships are jobs where you get paid while you learn new skills. You work with real employers, and you also get training that helps you earn recognised qualifications. Most apprenticeships last between one and four years. You still get holiday time, just like in other jobs. If you have an EHC Plan, you can keep it during your apprenticeship, and both your employer and your training provider will help you work towards your goals.

 

Supported Internships

Supported Internships are a structured study programme aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 with a learning disability and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The programme primarily, is based at an employer’s premises. There is no legal requirement or expectation that the supported intern will be paid

Supported Internships are a great opportunity to improve the life chances of young people with SEND to equip them with the skills and financial independence they need to achieve the four key life outcomes:

  • Education, employment and training
  • Having friends and being involved in the community
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Housing and living independently

Purpose of a Supported Internship

The purpose of a supported internship is to support young people with EHC plans to gain paid employment by:

  • supporting them to develop the skills valued by employers
  • enabling them to demonstrate their value in the workplace
  • developing confidence in their own abilities to perform successfully at work

The supported internship can also help with:

  • increasing health and well-being
  • gaining friendships and a social life
  • benefiting the economy, employers, families, the local community and wider society.

The degree of success of a supported internship is measured through the intern’s transition to sustained and paid employment.

Supported Internship Programme

A Supported Internship is a one-year full time (5 days per week) programme based within an organisation. Interns are supported by a tutor and job coaches. Interns spend around 75% of their time working and gaining experience in a real work setting (3 work placements a year) developing the skills that are valued by employers.

Up to 25% of an interns time is based in a training room, provided by the workplace, undertaking an employment-focused curriculum.

The young person will follow a personalised study programme which contributes to the long-term career goals of the young person and match their capabilities. This programme will include the opportunity to study for job-relevant qualifications as well as English and Maths at an appropriate level.

Job Coach Support

Job coaches are central to the study programme and should be trained in line with the national occupational standards for supported employment. The core role of the job coach is to provide tailored support to the supported intern. They will mentor and build the interns confidence including supporting them to try out new ways to do things, if they are not successful at first. They will train the young person in the specific job role identified using systematic instruction (a step-by-step method specifically designed to help young people with learning disabilities learn new tasks).

Job coaches are an important point of contact for employers, supporting them to match the skills and needs of interns, adapting roles and tasks and employing individuals with additional needs by assisting them to create and support a diverse workforce.

Accessing a Supported Internship Programme

If you are interested in a supported internship programme, speak to your School SENDCo. They will advise you and your parents to contact the tutor or co-ordinator of the programme.  You will be invited to an open evening to find out more about the programme and to have a look at the facilities. If you are still interested, you will be given an application form to complete. You will then be considered for selection and an interview.

Programmes Available in Wakefield

Wakefield has 3 Supported Internship Programmes, listed below:

  • Project SEARCH Pinderfields Hospital. This involves working across the hospital in Patient Portering, Abacus Nursery, Sterile Services, Facilities, Catering and Regional Spinal Injuries Unit.
  • Project SEARCH West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board Wakefield is a new partnership and will focus on admin roles with areas within the NHS offering internship rotations available at Spectrum Community Health CIC, SLD Training and NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board.
  • The Shaw Trust Internship Programme. Placements are matched to the young person’s needs and vocational interests and rotations with local businesses including, Wakefield Hospice, The Entertainer, Young Lives, Create Café, Mc Donald’s, MENCAP, Oakfield Park and Pinderfields Primary School.

Completion of Supported Internship Programme

The team around the intern consists of Tutor/s and Job Coach/es. They play crucial roles in helping interns to secure paid employment or meaningful progression by:

  • negotiating opportunities for paid employment with the employer providing internship
  • where that is not possible, supporting interns with job searches and signposting to other work opportunities, including apprenticeships
  • supporting job applications, including CV development and revisions
  • helping interns prepare for and accompanying them to job interviews
  • signposting interns to other services (for example, Access to Work or local supported employment services) and if necessary, liaising with these agencies

Contact details

If you are interested in accessing a supported internship, and would like more information, please contact the Preparing for Adulthood Team at: SEND@wakefield.gov.uk

Supported Internships are for young people aged 16–24 who have a learning disability and an EHC Plan.They help you learn new skills by working in a real job.You won’t get paid during the internship, but it helps you get ready for a paid job later.

The main aim is to help you get a paid job in the future. You will:

  • learn skills employers want
  • show employers what you can do
  • grow your confidence at work

A Supported Internship lasts one year and is full‑time (5 days a week). Most of your time (about 75%) is spent at work doing real tasks. You will usually try three different work placements in the year.


The rest of your time (about 25%) is in a training room learning skills to help you get a job. You may also work on qualifications like English and Maths.

In Wakefield we have two Supported Internship providers: 

  • DfN Project SEARCH. All of the job placements and the teaching is based at Pinderfields and Dewsbury Hospitals. 
  • The Shaw Trust. The teaching takes place at the Lightwaves Community Centre, but the job placements can be anywhere in the district, depending on what you are interested in doing. 

You will have a job coach who:

  • shows you how to do tasks step‑by‑step
  • helps you try new things
  • helps build your confidence
  • supports your employer so the job suits your needs

At the end of the programme you will get help to:

  • look for a paid job
  • apply for an apprenticeship
  • write your CV
  • prepare for interviews
  • get support from other services if needed.

Previous Education after you are 16 Next Children and Young People with SEN Support
Last updated: 04/02/2026