The Supported Internship is an academic year-long programme designed for young people aged 16-24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan, transitioning from education to paid employment. DFN Project SEARCH is a collaboration between Preston College, Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Constabulary and Hft.
The goal for each intern is to gain paid employment of 16+ hours a week. To reach that goal, the programme provides real-life work experience placements within Lancashire County Council or Lancashire Constabulary. This is combined with onsite daily classroom sessions in employability and independent living skills, to help young people with learning disabilities and autism spectrum conditions make successful transitions to a productive adult life.
Want to see what our Project SEARCH learners get up to on their internship? Click here to watch a short video featuring our interns and LCC staff.
WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Classroom activities are designed around these focus areas: Team Building, Workplace Safety, Technology, Maintaining Employment, Self-Advocacy, Financial Literacy, Health and Wellness, and Preparing for Employment.
Through completing a series of three targeted internships you will acquire competitive, marketable and transferable skills to enable you to apply for a related post. You will also build communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills which is important to your overall development as a new worker.
HOW WILL I BE TAUGHT?
You will attend daily classroom sessions led by the facilitator who will also be based onsite full time to support you day to day. Hft provide an employability coach who will train and support you in your placement and provide support when you gain paid employment.
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
We use RARPA (Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement) to measure the progress and achievement of learners.
We set SMART targets for learners to work towards and support them to achieve their goals.
We liaise with placement managers and mentors to develop a plan on what transferrable and competitive skills the learner can develop, and together provide feedback to the learner on what they are doing well and where they can improve.
WHAT CAN I DO NEXT?
As this is your last year of education the ultimate goal is for you to gain employment and start the next chapter of your life.
