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First National Supported Internship Day Celebrated in Wales

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This week is National Autism Acceptance Week and in recognition of this, today the UK celebrates the first National Supported Internship Day. Events to recognise this date are being celebrated across Wales.

A Supported Internship is a vocational programme for people with autism or learning disabilities, to enable their transition from education to employment, during their final year. Vocational development is usually provided to the intern through a collaboration between a college, employer and supported employment agency, based at the employer site.

Whilst an initial pilot Supported Internship, the innovation award winning Project Enable, was introduced between Cwm Taf Morgannwg and ELITE Supported Employment Agency in 2012, the programme was embedded in Wales through the Engage to Change Partnership in 2016, as part of their legacy development. The first programme operated at Cardiff University, supported by Cardiff and Vale College and ELITE Supported Employment Agency. Supported Internships have gone from strength to strength across Wales, now developing to seventeen programmes. To date Supported Internships have enabled more than 550 young people with autism or learning disabilities in Wales, despite the challenges of COVID.

Supported Internships in Wales are supported by the Welsh Government’s Education Department Pathway 4 funding to colleges, and DWP’s Access to Work programme for qualified job coach support from Supported Employment organisations. This development is having a huge impact on the future lives of youths with autism and learning disabilities.

Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and Welsh Language stated:

“It’s so important we support all learners to reach their potential, that’s why I’m so pleased to see this Supported Internship scheme being recognised today.

It’s a great example of what we are doing with our partners to tackle the ‘aspiration gap’, ensuring young people with autism or learning disabilities are able to contribute their skills in the world of work”.

Employer response has been tremendous in relation to this programme, with many Public and Private Sector organisations participating. At present there are five University Hospital Boards involved, local authorities, Cardiff University, and private sector companies, such as Dow UK, PHS and SME’s that reflect Wales’s employment landscape. There are plans to expand this further in the next academic year.

Paul Mears, Chief Executive of Cwm Taf Morgannwg, which operates the programme at both the Princess of Wales Hospital and Prince Charles Hospital, said “There are enormous benefits provided by this project, not only for the young people involved but also for health board colleagues and the population we serve. For Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board this is an important part of our ambition to build healthier communities and create aspirations and opportunities within our communities.”

Staff and Supported Interns at Cwm Taf Morgannwg are so proud of the programme that they’ll be inviting many department colleagues to a celebration today to hear of the benefits of the programme.

This programme is so important to the economy in Wales, as currently only 21.7% of people with autism and less than 5% of people with learning disabilities are in employment, compared to 81.3% of the non-disabled population of the UK. Supported Internships challenge these statistics and helps young people to avoid becoming economically inactive. Research conducted through the Engage to Change Project, demonstrated that 40%+ of supported interns secured paid employment. This is higher than the DWP’s UK wide Restart Programme, addressing unemployment.

This was further supported by Andrea Wayman CEO of ELITE Supported Employment and Vice Chair of the Economic Ministerial Advisory Board, who said, “Supported Internships bring employers and young disabled people together. It has proven to be an amazing recruitment tool for all employers involved. They have recognised the benefits of an inclusive workforce, who have trained at their own workplaces, resolving their recruitment and retention issues, and that there is an untapped workforce of skilled staff available to them, who may not have previously been considered”.

Where supported interns may not have gained employment upon leaving the programme, their development aids them to move to Welsh Government’s new Supported Shared Apprenticeship programme and other opportunities offered through the Young Person’s Guarantee, increasing their employability further, and again reducing their risk of becoming economically inactive.

National Supported Internship Day is an innovation of DFN Project SEARCH, an international model of Supported Internship. They will launch recognition of this day with the Chancellor at 11 Downing Street today.

For further information regarding supported internships across Wales contact ELITE on 01443 226664.

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