100 per cent success rate for supported interns at Oldham College

IT’S BEEN yet another successful year for students undertaking Supported Internships at Oldham College – with every one of them going on to secure paid employment or voluntary work.

This programme is a unique opportunity for young people with special educational needs or disabilities to get that important first step on the career ladder.

It supports them to have the chance to boost their employability skills by agreeing a placement in a real working environment with a local employer.

Students receive a combination of taught lessons and opportunities to learn work skills and build their confidence in a real work place. Once their placements finish it is hoped the interns can then secure paid employment, either at that place of work, or with other local employers.

The benefits of Supported Internships can be life-changing for our young people – and employers benefit too.

In our new case study video Sally Green, Skills for Life & Work Tutor and Advanced Practitioner at Oldham College explains how the programme works and how we help students and employers to find the best possible match at http://bit.ly/2M1AidG

You’ll also hear from two of our latest Supported Internship success stories – Brian and Callum – and their host employers’ positive experiences of their growing confidence, skills and adaptability.

Sally Green said: “We have some fantastic employers on Oldham and we work really closely with a lot of local business organisations. What we ask of everyone is that they give our interns a chance to show what they can do.

“The only commitment we ask is that they support our learners’ work, and help them to learn the skills they need to be successful in that industry. What has often happened is that employers have been so impressed that they have then gone on to offer our students work, which is fantastic.

“Internships last for up to a year and by Easter (this year) we’d already had some exceptional outcomes. We had students that have gone directly into paid work, and had students going for traineeships, apprenticeships and also volunteer work.”

Supported Internships are unpaid and last for a minimum of six months.