Ways employers can support young people to get into work

Work experience

Gaining valuable work experience really does help people to develop and prepare for a job. We receive lots of requests from young people who are studying and would benefit from work experience. This can be from people at college level through to undergraduates and postgraduates.

General work experience

A general work experience placement can be paid or unpaid, short-term (one to two weeks) or long-term (12 months), and for school or higher education students.

All work experience placements are used to allow young people to experience the world of work. This means they can learn about the skills employers are looking for and develop their knowledge to inform career planning. They're brilliant ways for young people to adjust to the routines and habits of working life. It also gives them the chance to learn about the behaviours expected of people in the workplace.

If you can offer an option for general work experience, you can help a young person start their career.

Paid work experience

We have the opportunity to offer paid work experience to our cohort in a variety of sectors. This is fully funded and the wages are paid through the Inclusive Offer.

Placements range from three to nine months and can be full time or part time, dependant on the needs of the service and the individuals. There is no expectation that you employ the person after - although many of our managers do. The idea is to give a good, varied experience of work, fantastic references and training to kickstart the young person's working life.

Support is offered to the young person and the manager through the pastoral mentor. Training is available to any of the managers who are looking to host a paid work placement.

Supported internships

Supported internships are for young people with a learning difficulty or disability. They help them to grow the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for them to get into work.

The programmes run during the college year and are a partnership between the college and the employer. They're unpaid as the student is in full time education and last for a minimum of six months. Job coaches attend the internship with the young person until they're confident enough to do the work on their own. This support can be in place for anything from a few weeks to the end of the work placement, depending on the person's needs.

As well as spending time with the employer, young people complete a tailored study programme. This includes the chance to study for vital qualifications if needed, as well as English and maths.

Wherever possible, supported internships help the young person to move into paid employment at the end of the programme. This might not always be possible, but they will still equip students with valuable skills. It will also give them a reference when applying for future employment and develop confidence and competence in work.

Why supported internships are good for your business

Nearly every business has roles that are suitable for a young person with a disability. Supported internships are good for your business because:

• young people with disabilities are loyal, committed employees
• employee engagement rises – helping others brings the best out of people
• customers are inspired and value what you give back to their area
• stakeholders view you highly and your business reputation is increased
• employees have increased confidence and awareness
• there are more leadership and coaching skills options
• you'll discover skill levels that don’t exist in normal talent pools

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are a great way for you to help someone to gain work experience and qualifications. It helps them to build their competency in a chosen field of work and is a chance for you to shape and grow employees in line with your organisational culture.

Benefits

The benefits of offering apprenticeships include:

• it's a cost effective way to grow talent
• they improve your business, with 86% of employers reporting they benefit from 'the development of skills relevant to the business' by hiring them
• the roles support succession planning as they're a great way to attract and grow young talent

What apprenticeships involve

Apprenticeships normally last between 12 to 24 months. An apprentice will spend the equivalent of 80% of their time working and 20% of their time focussing on college work, including doing training and gaining qualifications.

You don't have to retain the apprentice once they complete their apprenticeship, although in most cases businesses look to do so. You can also progress the apprentice to the next level after completion.

Young person takeover

A young person takeover allows any care experienced child or young person to access three different types of work within the council or with external employers we work with. Young people from the age of 14 (year 10 upwards) up to 24 can choose from various work and job shadowing roles. We offer incentives such as paid travel to work and Love2Shop vouchers up to the value of £80 to encourage take up.

T-Level placements

T-Levels are full-time courses for 16 to 18 year olds that focus on a specific type of career. They contain a work placement element plus academic study and are the equivalent of three A-Levels.

Young people who opt for T-Levels are clear about the types of careers they want to go into. They need a work placement with an employer as a mandatory part of their course.

T-Level placements should be for at least 45 days (315 hours) and in the industry or job chosen by the student. Typically you'd host a student for one day per week for 45 weeks, but this can vary.

We'd like to create T-Level placements in the following areas:

• digital production, design and development (software and web)
• digital support
• data technician
• early years
• assistant accountant
• business and admin