Two young people from Swansea are sharing the story of how their skills and confidence have grown thanks to one of the UK's leading supported internship programmes.
Aidan Bowles and Jamie Leigh Webber are supported interns at Amazon in Swansea, beginning their internship in late 2025 and graduating this summer.
Supported internships are structured work-based study programmes for young people aged 16 to 24 with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or equivalent.
For young people with a learning disability and/or who are autistic, barriers to employment are particularly acute, with just 6% of adults with a learning disability in England currently in paid work, despite 86% wanting to do so1, according to data from local authorities.
The supported internship programme at Amazon was launched in 2021 in a bid to see more young people with SEND enter the workforce. It was expanded in 2023 through an ongoing partnership with national charity DFN Project Search. Since the launch of the programme, almost 300 young people have started a supported internship with Amazon, making the company the UK's largest private sector provider of supported internships.
Supported internships at Amazon combine classroom education and practical work experience in a number of roles; all within an Amazon fulfilment centre, where items are stored, packed and shipped. More than 155 people who have completed a supported internship at Amazon have gone on to secure permanent roles at the company.
During the initial pilot of the Amazon supported internship programme in 2021, three people graduated from the scheme. Aidan and Jamie Leigh are among the 140 people with SEND who are graduating from a supported internship across 25 Amazon sites this year. They've shared what they've learned whilst working at Amazon to inspire others to take part in the programme.
The pair completed their internships at Amazon's fulfilment centre in Swansea. Before arriving, they had been studying at Gower College in Swansea, undertaking an Independent Living Skills course that covered practical life skills like cooking and travel. Neither had set foot in a warehouse before. Both arrived with nerves but say they were quickly put at ease by the warmth of the Amazon team around them.
“The support from the Amazon team has been amazing – they are really helpful when you ask them basically anything,” said Aidan. “No matter how small the problem, if you ask whatever associate is working with you, they'll most likely know what to do. You just need to be brave enough to ask the question.”
Jamie Leigh has experienced a similar growth in confidence since last year.
“Before I started, I didn't think I was going to be able to do it,” she said. “But once you actually get into it, you realise it's completely fine. I much prefer practical things, and I definitely have enjoyed being in the workplace so much more than full-time college.”
Since starting, both interns have been working across picking and stowing, two of the core roles on the warehouse floor. The scale of the operation is considerable. The fulfilment centre contains around 4.2 million individual storage locations – meaning navigation is a skill in itself. Aidan identified it as one of his proudest achievements.
“Navigation is one of the most important things I've learned,” he said. “Learning what everything is and where it goes in the warehouse, then having the knowledge and navigation skill to help me get there, that's been really useful for me.”
For Jamie Leigh, the change in her mindset has been striking. She recalls an early moment during picking training when she felt so overwhelmed by the location system that she found herself in tears in the aisle.
“I'm quite proud of myself, I never thought I would come this far from then, or that I would even be able to do an internship. Now, if you ask me for directions, I can take you there no problem, I'm like a different person,” she said.
She has also noticed a marked improvement in her output – moving from completing two carts per day to three, continuing to break her own records. Aidan, too, has embraced the challenge of full-time work, describing his key takeaway as the value of independence – something he says is central not just to the job, but to a person's overall wellbeing.
“Everyone here is so lovely. I genuinely haven't had a single bad interaction since being here,” said Jamie Leigh.
Both interns have been offered jobs at Amazon in Swansea following graduation. The ceremony was attended by their families and Amazon colleagues.
Speaking on the impact of the supported internship on Jamie Leigh, her mum Leigh Webber said:
“I am so impressed by the level of independence and confidence this course has given Jamie.”
Job coach Angela Smith added:
“It” been another incredibly rewarding journey working with our students under the amazing training and guidance of all the staff at Amazon. As their tutor and onsite programme lead, the level of self-belief among the cohort is perhaps one of the most humbling qualities I feel privileged to have witnessed. From the early days in college to tentatively stepping into the big wide world of work at Amazon takes enormous courage. Well done all!”
Kirsty Matthews, CEO of DFN Project Search, said:
“Jamie Leigh and Aidan's journeys are a brilliant reminder of what is possible when young people with a learning disability and/or autism are given a real chance to shine. Watching them grow in confidence and capability at Amazon is wonderful to see.
“We're incredibly grateful to have host business partners like Amazon, who continue to open doors that might otherwise have been closed and demonstrating that when businesses make disability inclusion a priority, everyone benefits. These young people have so much to offer, and programmes like this give them the platform to showcase their talents and build meaningful careers.”
Nearly 300 young people have now been through the scheme, and Amazon recently announced plans to quadruple the programme, supporting an additional 1,000 young people with learning disabilities and autism into employment by 2030.
The commitment, announced at Amazon's UK Delivering the Future event in June, builds on the company's position as the UK's largest private sector provider of supported internships.
Annual pay for Amazon Operations roles starts from £29,744 and in some locations, £31,824. Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection and an employee discount as well as a company pension plan.
For employees reaching their one-year employment mark, Amazon offers the Career Choice programme, which pre-pays 100% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields. To promote a more affordable commuting option for employees, Amazon also offers a season ticket scheme to eligible staff.
Amazon has been named as a ‘Top Employer UK 2026' by the Top Employer Institute, for the third year in a row, one of the world's most prestigious certifications in the field of human resources management. This award recognises Amazon's commitment to the development and well-being of its employees. In addition to the UK accolade, Amazon has also been certified as one of the Top Employers in Europe for a fourth consecutive year.
DFN Project SEARCH is a national charity serving young adults with a learning disability or are autistic, or both, to make a positive transition from education into permanent employment. DFN Project SEARCH offers an evidence-based supported internship programme that takes place entirely in the workplace and provides continuous support to young adults aged 16 – 24, with the goal of ensuring a transition to meaningful paid employment for every young adult.
To date, DFN Project SEARCH has supported over 3,600 young people through its programmes with, on average, just under 63% of graduates going on to permanent, paid jobs. DFN Project SEARCH has over 200 host businesses across healthcare, retail, hospitality, maintenance and logistics.
