Supported employment and internships

Having a job isn’t just about earning money. It can also help build confidence, develop skills and widen friendships. But even though 86% of learning disabled people want a job, only 4.8% are currently employed. We don’t think that’s good enough.

Every learning disabled or autistic person who wants to work should be able to draw on the support they need to do so. We work with employers, colleges and training organisations across England and Wales to make that a reality.

Our supported internship and supported employment programmes help learning disabled and autistic people to gain work experience and find a paid job. As part of one of our programmes, you’ll gain all the tools and skills you need to thrive in the workplace.

Keep reading to find out more about whether our programmes are right for you.

If you’re an employer looking for information, click here.

What is supported employment?

Supported employment programmes give extra help and support to learning disabled or autistic people who want to work. At Hft, we have Employability Coaches who can help you find and stay in a paid job that you enjoy. They will work with you to find out the best way to support you, plan this support, and then make sure that it happens.

When you start work, your Employability Coach will work with you to learn the skills needed. Over time, as you become more independent in your job, they’ll support you less. They can come back and provide extra support if your job changes or you need to learn something new.

What is a supported internship? 

Supported internships help learning disabled or autistic people to gain work experience in different roles and build their skills. As an intern on one of our programmes, you’ll work in a few different placements over the course of an academic year (September through to August). This means you’ll get to try out different job roles in a business.

Alongside this, you’ll complete training and learn about employment in a classroom environment. The goal is for interns to be ready for paid employment by the end of their internship.

You’ll have the support of our Employability Coaches every step of the way. They’ll help you settle in to your placements, complete training and learn new skills. After you graduate, we’ll continue to work with you for nine months to help you search and apply for paid jobs. We’ll also provide follow-on support when you find a paid job for as long as you need it.

Which programme is right for me?

The kind of support you might prefer will depend on where you are at with employment. Our internships might be for you if you want to test out a few different jobs before finding a permanent one. Or if you don’t feel ready for a permanent job yet.

Our supported employment programme might suit you better if you already have some work experience. Or if you want to find a permanent job and just need some extra support.

What we can offer varies based on your age and location, so take a look at our supported employment and supported internship pages below for more information.

We’re members of BASE (British Association of Supported Employment), the national voice for providers of specialist employment support.

BASE help to improve the employment rates of disabled people, so that more of them can get into work. They also promote the principles and delivery of high quality Supported Employment services.